Published 21:13 IST, July 6th 2020
Ex-Pak skipper claims Grant Flower levied allegations against Younis because of Azharuddin
Rashid Latif has stated that Grant Flower might've wanted to get back at Younis Khan which is why he made such claims & named Mohammad Azharuddin in the episode
Reacting to former Pakistan coach Grant Flower's claims of Younis Khan holding a knife to his throat, former skipper Rashid Latif has reasoned that the incident might have been made up due to Indian batsman Mohammad Azharuddin. Latif has stated that Grant Flower might have wanted to 'get back at' Younis Khan and that is why he made such claims. He added that even though we do not what happens inside the dressing room, but Azharuddin 'can be' the reason.
The former Pakistan skipper while speaking on his YouTube channel, recollected, "In 2016, Younis made a double century at the Oval. He (Younis) did not take the name of the batting coach (Grant Flower). He said that I was struggling and talked to Azharuddin."
Furthermore, he added, "That is a big factor that a player is crediting someone else rather than the coach. Flower must have contributed as a batting coach and served Pakistan. But I think this Azharuddin factor must have been somewhere in his (Flower’s) mind and he probably wanted to get back to him."
The former wicketkeeper-batsman was referring to Younis Khan's 218-run knock at the Oval in 2016 that helped Pakistan level the series against England. Younis Khan, now the batting coach, was struggling for runs in the whole series, had turned it around in the final Test by becoming the oldest Pakistan batsman to score a double hundred. Post the match, Younis had revealed that Azharuddin had called him up before the last Test of the series and advised him how to stay longer at the wicket.
'Brought a knife to my throat'
Former Pakistan batting coach Grant Flower has revealed that Younis Khan once held a knife to his throat when he tried to offer the former skipper some advice during a tour of Australia. Flower recollected that it happened in Brisbane during the Test series in 2016 and Head Coach Mickey Arthur was also present when Younis Khan didn't take the batting coach's advice 'kindly.'
During a conversation with Neil Manthorp on the 'Following On Cricket Podcast,' Flower stated that Younis Khan was 'quite tough to master' when asked about the tricky characters he faced during his tenure. "I remember one incident in Brisbane, during the Test, at breakfast, I tried to give him a bit of batting advice ... But he didn't take kindly to my advice and brought a knife to my throat, with Mickey Arthur sitting alongside, who had to intervene," he recollected.
Updated 21:13 IST, July 6th 2020