ABU DHABI: The Pakistani middle order batsman Younis Khan has announced retirement from One Day Cricket, saying he will play his last one day international (ODI) today.
His announcement comes as Pakistan is set to begin four-match ODI series against England at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
“I will play my last ODI at Abu Dhabi today” Younis Khan said in a press conference on Wednesday adding that it is never easy to announce retirement.
Younis Khan said that he made the decision after consulting with his relatives and friends.
“I am thankful to PCB, Selection Committee and team management” he said.
The veteran batsman was included in Pakistan’s ODI squad for the first time after the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.
The 37-year-old Younis Khan played 264 matches in an ODI career which began on February 13, 2000 when he made his debut in ODIs by playing against Sri Lanka at Karachi.
Younis Khan scored seven hundreds and 48 fifties at an average of 31.34 in ODIs.
His retirement happened as a surprise for many cricket followers as Younis Khan who is the leading scorer in Test Cricket for Pakistan, made a comeback to Pakistan’s ODI squad after a gap of seven months.
Many cricket experts did not support the idea of including Younis Khan in ODI squad as they stress the inclusion of youngsters in the shorter format of the game in view of the Pakistan’s preparation for future important series.
Younis Khan does not possess as good batting average in ODIs as he has in Test Cricket. In addition, his strike rate in ODIs has always been questioned.
But yet returning to Pakistan’s ODI squad, his announcement about the retirement even before playing a single game raises further questions which need to be answered…..
