`Younis may get coaching role with ODI team`

Karachi: Younis Khan`s ODI career is more or less over and the senior batsman is likely to get coaching assignment with the national team in near future, sources have claimed.

The veteran batsman was dropped from the 30-man probables list for the Champions Trophy, but the team management is in favour of him continuing in the Test format. "Interestingly there has been talk about appointing Younis as the assistant coach or batting coach of the team," one source disclosed. "The Board and selectors have no doubt that Younis has a big role to play in Test matches for a few more years, but they are also thinking about making use of his expertise by giving him another role in the team that of assistant coach or batting coach," the source added. The source said that Intikhab Alam who is a senior person in the Board had spoken to Younis on the day the selectors finalized the probables. "Alam had informed Younis about the selector`s decision, but he wasn’t upset and said he accepted the decision. Everyone in the board and in the team management feels that Younis is the perfect person to also be given a coaching assignment in the team as he is energetic, fit and well respected by the players," the source added. "The team management is certainly in favor of giving Younis this additional responsibility, besides continuing his test career. The board is also keeping in mind that after March, 2014 they might not be in a position to renew Dav Whtamore’s contract as head coach," said another source. Meanwhile chief selector, Iqbal Qasim told PTI that the decision to drop Younis was a hard one to take. "He is a respected player and has served the country well. We have dropped him because of poor form, but if he is still keen to continue playing at the ODI level he has to first perform in domestic cricket to be considered again." PTI