Inzamam-ul-Haq, the outgoing Pakistan chief selector and former captain, has weighed in on Grant Flower’s allegations against Younis Khan, accusing the former of wanting “media limelight”.
In the Following On podcast last week, Flower, the former Zimbabwe batsman who was the Pakistan batting coach from 2014 to 2019, alleged that Younis had held a knife to his throat after not taking kindly to some batting advice Flower had provided.
“I remember one incident in Brisbane, during the Test, at breakfast I tried to give him a bit of batting advice,” Flower said. “But he didn’t take kindly to my advice and brought a knife to my throat, with [coach] Mickey Arthur sitting alongside, who had to intervene. Yeah, it’s been interesting. But that’s part of coaching.”
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The incident has caused a divide in the cricket world, with some saying Flower’s allegations are baseless, while others point of it as an example of player power.
Inzamam, for his part, said he found it hard to believe, having played with and known Younis for a long time. “I just can’t believe what Grant has been saying,” Inzamam told Dawn News. “I played with Younis for a long time and I know him very well. Younis is someone who can never show knife to anyone.
“I am surprised why Grant is speaking about it now. I think sometimes an individual wants to remain in the media limelight. Imagine … such claims after more than three years have no value. Further, I never heard such incident while I was the chief selector. To me, this statement has no value.”
The incident occurred during Pakistan’s Test against Australia at the Gabba in 2016, and, according to Flower, Mickey Arthur had to intervene.https://t.co/5koJaHfWsg
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) July 2, 2020
Flower’s version of events, however, was corroborated by Mickey Arthur, according to reports by PakPassion. “It was a dining knife that Younis Khan had in his hand,” he said. “I calmed Younis down and just wanted him to get runs in the second innings which thankfully he did.”
Younis played one Test at the Gabba in Brisbane in his career, in his twilight years in 2016. Perhaps Flower’s advice got through; after a golden duck in the first innings, Younis made 65 in the second, and ended the tour with a splendid 175* at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which is placed No.5 in Wisden’s Test innings of 2017.
