ISLAMABAD - Former opener and ex-coach Mohsin Khan Wednesday smells something fishy in the whole affair of Younus Khan’s abrupt retirement from the One Day Internationals.
"It makes no sense that after being picked for the full series in the one-day squad after such a big gap he should decide to retire after playing the first match. Definitely I think something has happened in the last 48 or 24 hours to have upset Younus who is very sensitive and a self-respecting individual," Mohsin said.
"I think it is wrong the way they have treated and shunted a senior player like Younus. Something has happened some message has been conveyed to him by the team management in the last 48 or 24 hours to have forced him to take this step," Mohsin who has also served as chief selector said.
He pointed out that the media had been reporting that head coach Waqar Younis didn't want Younus in the ODI squad. "I think the job of the captain, manager and coach is to not only motivate the players but also make them feel comfortable and wanted. I think in Younus's case this didn't happen and no one tried to speak to him to find out his feelings," Mohsin added.
Former cricketers Abdul Qadir and Sarfaraz Nawaz also expressed surprise at Younus decision saying that the way he quit was totally incomprehensible.
Former leg-spin wizard Qadir, who had urged Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to include Younus in ODI squad for the series against England, said that the decision was as surprising to him as to all others. "The decision comes as a huge surprise to me. Though, a player can announce retirement any time, I was not expecting him to leave at this stage, especially when he himself has been pressing the board to include him in the team."
"Neither the PCB nor the selection committee wanted him to be part of the team. But he insisted to play one-day cricket. Several people, including me backed him but now he is saying that he has taken the decision after deep reflection and in consultation with friends and family. To me it is really strange," he added.
Qadir was also of the view that the batsman had announced retirement in an undignified way. "He broke legendary Javed Miandad's record and achieved the milestone of scoring 9000 runs in Test cricket." "Soon after the conclusion of Test series he should have said that I'm retiring from one-day cricket to pave way for youngsters. This would have been most appropriate and honourable exit," he maintained.
Former Test Cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz said if Younus wanted to retire from ODI cricket after playing just one game then it was useless to put him in the squad adding that it would have been better to give chance to a deserving player.
By announcing his retirement, he said Younus had put the whole team under pressure. "What if he doesn't perform in the first ODI and Pakistan loses the game?" he asked adding that in such a case he would be responsible as if he hadn't been in the team then some other deserving regular ODI player would have been in the team.
Sarfraz said that he was surprised as what compelled Younus to retire from ODI cricket as he forced the selectors to include him in the team and when that happened he announced the retirement midstream. "I was among those who supported him when he was not getting a place in the ODI team, but retiring like that is not a wise decision at all," he said.
He claimed that it was due to Younus inclusion in the squad that Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed flew to Dubai and convinced the team management for that. "I think he should have waited for the series to end. If he was to retire like that then there was no need to push the PCB."