PCB appoints Younis batting, Mushtaq spin bowling coaches

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the appointment of former captain Younis Khan as batting coach and former spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as spin bowling coach for the national team’s tour of England where they are scheduled to play three Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals during the months of July-August, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

The PCB is devising plans and strategies for the tour to England and Younis Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed will be part of the coaching staff.

Younis, 42, is Pakistan's highest run-scorer in Tests with 10,099 runs in 118 matches in a career that stretched from 2000 to 2017.

Pakistan will also have the services of former spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as spin bowling coach to assist head coach Misbah-ul-Haq during the tour, where they are set to play three Tests and an equal number of Twenty20 internationals.

The national squad will likely kick off training in Lahore before departing for England in early July where they will be held in quarantine for two weeks.

Pakistan are set to play the first of three Tests in Manchester from August 5 while the remaining two Tests will be in Southampton (August 13-17 and 21-25).

The three Twenty20 internationals will all be played in Southampton on August 28, 30 and September 1.

International cricket, halted like other sports because of the coronavirus pandemic, is finally coming back to life with the West Indies arriving in England on Tuesday for a rescheduled, three-Test tour.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the two appointments were made to help Misbah and bowling coach Waqar Younis.

"The appointments have been made to provide head coach Misbah and fast bowling coach Waqar the necessary and essential resources that can help them further uplift the performance of the side," said the PCB in a statement.

Pakistan are currently seventh in the Test rankings but they have enjoyed strong tours in England in recent years, drawing 2-2 in 2016 and 1-1 in 2018.

"I am delighted that Younis has agreed to join the Pakistan cricket set-up and his work ethic, commitment to match preparation, game awareness and tactics in the English conditions will be invaluable," said PCB chief executive Wasim Khan.

Younis said he plans to draw on his experience to help shepherd the team during the tour.

"We all know English conditions demand not only precise technique but patience and discipline, and if you can master these, then you will not only excel in England but anywhere in the world," said Younis.

Moreover, it has been informed by the England Cricket Board (ECB) that bio-secure conditions for the Pakistan team would be ready by July 5 so the Pakistan team could send the squad around July 5 so that the players have enough time to quarantine and train before the first Test.

The squad will travel to England on chartered flights in the first week of July and the players will be put in quarantine.

Earlier PCB chief executive Wasim Khan stated that Pakistan has agreed to the tour after a very detailed and comprehensive discussion with the ECB. He stated that Pakistan would play the matches behind closed doors at grounds which have hotels inside the ground but if a player doesn't want to go, we will accept their decision and take no disciplinary action.

Moreover, the PCB had planned a training camp at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy during the month of June but so far they have failed to start any training sessions but due to the Covid-19 situation, none of their players has had any proper training since a nation-wide lockdown was clamped in March.

It is pertinent to mention the West Indies team has already embarked to England after all the players and support staff tested negative for Covid-19. The players will then enter a bio-secure environment at Emirates Old Trafford and could be able to train for the next three weeks at Old Trafford.