Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has been appointed as the mentor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed the development on Wednesday. Younis previously served as Afghanistan’s batting coach in 2022.
“ACB has assigned former experienced top-order Pakistani player Younis Khan as Mentor for Champions Trophy 2025. He (Younis) will join the team before the event starts in Pakistan,” said ACB spokesman Sayeed Naseem Sadat.
Younis Khan is widely regarded as one of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers. In a glittering career, he scored 10,099 runs in 118 Tests, including a memorable triple century (313). He also reached the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings during his playing days. As captain, Younis led Pakistan to its maiden T20 World Cup victory in 2009.
After retiring, Younis transitioned to coaching and mentoring roles. He served as Pakistan’s batting coach for a brief period and has worked with Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Most recently, he was the head coach for the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.
Afghanistan has increasingly brought experienced international players into its coaching setup in recent years. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja mentored the team. Under his guidance, Afghanistan achieved a historic sixth-place finish, including victories against England and Pakistan. Notably, Jadeja offered his services without seeking any payment.
