2025 ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY: Afghanistan Cricket Board Appoint Ex-Pakistan Legend as Team Mentor

Ahead of the much-awaited Champions Trophy , the Afghanistan Cricket Board has made a massive hiring to boost their chances at the mega event. The ACB has got onboard former Pakistan captain Younis Khan as the mentor of the side. This is surely going to help an inexperienced Afghanistan side in the event. In the past, Younis has previously served as Afghanistan's batting coach for the team in 2022 - so he will not be any stranger to the dressing-room. 

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‘Younis will join the team before the event starts’

"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," Sayeed Naseem Sadat, the spokesman of ACB, confirmed to Cricbuzz on Wednesday.

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Younis will bring in a lot of experience to the table and that is bound to help Afghanistan. He is one of the finest batters to have played for Pakistan, amassing 10,099 runs in 118 Tests, including a career-best 313. Younis also became world number one batsman in the ICC rankings in his lifetime and led Pakistan to its maiden T20 World Cup triumph in 2009.

Given their recent performances in white-ball cricket, Afghanistan would surely be one of the dark horses of the tournament. They totally have the capability of surprising oppositions and causing upsets. 

ABOUT CT 25

Pakistan and neutral venue Dubai will host the eight-team Champions Trophy from 19 February to 9 March. Australia and South Africa join England and Afghanistan in Group B, while Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh meet in Group A. Thanks to the ‘hybrid’ model, India will play all it's matches in Dubai International stadium.