Younis Khan offers to train Pakistan players for free, urges revival of departmental cricket

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Former Pakistan Test captain Younis Khan has expressed his concerns about the direction of Pakistan cricket, urging the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to prioritize long-term planning and player development. 

Speaking during a recent media interaction, Younis highlighted several areas where he believes the PCB needs improvement, including the revival of departmental cricket and the management of leadership roles.

Younis addressed the leadership within the PCB, specifically referring to the role of PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. While he praised Naqvi's intentions, Younis urged him to focus on building a strong team.

"I have no doubts about the intentions of Mohsin Naqvi, but he needs to focus on his team. The PCB often makes sudden decisions, like changing coaches and captains without warning," Younis said.

Younis also called for the revival of departmental cricket, a system that historically provided job security to cricketers and helped develop talent at the grassroots level. Reflecting on his own experience, he credited his success to the support he received from the United Bank Limited (UBL) cricket team.

"Departmental cricket has always supported players. I myself was able to play cricket because of UBL. The PCB needs to work on reviving departmental cricket, alongside promoting club cricket," he further added.

When asked about Babar Azam’s leadership, Younis had encouraging words for Pakistan’s white-ball captain but advised him to remain focused on his performance rather than getting involved in off-field issues.

"Babar Azam was made captain because he was the best performer. To become an even better player, he needs to stay away from controversies and focus on his game. There are bigger things than captaincy, and Babar must decide what's important for him," Younis remarked. 

Younis sees a bright future for Babar, predicting that he could achieve even greater milestones than himself. 

"I scored 10,000 runs in my career, and I believe Babar Azam can score 15,000. He just needs to focus on his performance, like Virat Kohli did when he stepped down from captaincy to concentrate on his game," Younis predicted.

Younis also dispelled the notion that good leadership is tied to communication skills, particularly in English, which is often considered a benchmark in international cricket circles.

"Good leadership isn't about speaking perfect English. The focus should be on nurturing talent and making sure players are prepared to compete against strong opponents," he emphasized.

Younis didn’t hold back when discussing the PCB’s management and their approach to decision-making. He expressed disappointment over how often important decisions, such as appointing coaches and captains, are made without clear long-term strategies.

"It feels like sometimes the PCB doesn’t know its own identity. Even grocery vendors and fruit sellers know who should be the captain and coach, but it seems like the PCB doesn’t," he said.

Despite his criticism of the board, Younis reaffirmed his commitment to Pakistan cricket, offering to contribute to the development of players without seeking any financial reward.

"Players like me shouldn’t be kept away from the PCB. I’m willing to train players for free if it helps improve the domestic structure," he said.

Reflecting on Pakistan's recent loss to Bangladesh, Younis warned that if lessons are not learned from such defeats, it could lead to even more embarrassing results in the future.

"Losses to big teams affect morale. We need to prepare ourselves well for such opponents. The loss to Bangladesh should be a learning experience—if we don't learn from it, we could end up losing to teams like Ireland or Scotland," he cautioned.

Concluding his thoughts, Younis called for a change in the overall mindset within Pakistan cricket. 

"If someone isn’t suited for a role, they shouldn’t be there. People in the PCB need to let go of selfishness, and captains shouldn’t be appointed just because they agree with certain people. Decisions should be based on merit, not personal preferences," he concluded.