Younis Khan and Intikhab Alam
Younis Khan has quit as captain of Pakistan’s cricket team in anger after being summoned to defend himself against allegations of deliberately losing matches, but his resignation has not been accepted.
he Pakistan Cricket Board said the batsman’s decision was a hasty one, and it plans to discuss the matter further with the player.
The 31-year-old, who was given the captaincy in January, having first led his national side in 2005, was furious when a government official accused Pakistan of deliberately losing two matches at the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa.
Jamshed Dasti, chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on sports, claimed Pakistan had lost to Australia in order to end rivals India’s hopes of qualifying for the semifinals.
He also said Younis’ team had deliberately lost the semifinal against New Zealand, a match the Pakistanis were confident of winning.
Younis, coach Intikhab Alam and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt were ordered to appear before the National Assembly in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“I could not stand criticism from all and sundry as it was affecting my performance. That is why I resigned,” Younis told The Dawn.
Intikhab said Younis had made “an emotional decision … to tender his resignation.”
“We have rejected match-fixing allegations at the meeting,” he said.
Younis led Pakistan to victory at the World Twenty20 tournament in England in June, but then his side suffered humiliating Test and one-day series defeats in Sri Lanka before the Champions Trophy.
He is a veteran of 63 Tests, scoring 16 centuries including a superb 313 in his first match as permanent captain against Sri Lanka in February.
