Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has lashed out at ex-Pakistan batting coach Grant Flower after his controversial comments on Younis Khan. Flower had recently revealed that Younis had once out a knife to his throat after receiving some batting advice from Flower. The Zimbabwean’s comment has not gone down well with several Pakistan fans and former cricketers.
Flower, who served as Pakistan’s batting coach from 2014 to 2019, recalled how Younis lost his cool after he gave batting tips to him during one of Pakistan’s tour of Australia. The incident happened in Brisbane and former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur had to intervene to calm things down between Younis and Flower.
“I remember one incident in Brisbane, during the Test, at breakfast, I tried to give him a bit of batting advice … But he didn’t take kindly to my advice and brought a knife to my throat, with Mickey Arthur sitting alongside, who had to intervene,” Flower said on the Following On Cricket Podcast.
Basit reacted to Flower’s comments in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel and slammed the former Pakistan batting coach for his comments. Basit said Flower should have thought twice before speaking about Younis, who is one of Pakistan’s greatest batsmen of all-time with more than 17,000 runs in international cricket.
Taking a jibe at Flower, Basit said it was Younis’ greatness that he used to listen to advice from Flower, who played 67 Tests and 221 ODIs for Zimbabwe.
“There is a statement that has come out from Grant Flower about Younis Khan. I feel he has given this statement very quickly. I feel he should think which person, which player he is talking about, who has scored 10000 runs for Pakistan,” said Basit Ali.
“Pakistan cricket is not that bad that coaches like Grant Flower give suggestions to Younis Khan. It was his [Younis] greatness that he used to listen to him [Flower] and even used to credit him in press conferences,” he added.
