KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has been appointed as the mentor for Afghanistan’s cricket team ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed the appointment yesterday, stating that Younis will join the team before the tournament begins in Pakistan. Younis Khan, who has a career total of 10,099 runs in 118 Tests, previously worked as Afghanistan’s batting coach in 2022. His appointment is seen as a strategic move by the ACB to provide the team with additional guidance and experience ahead of the tournament, which runs from 19 February to 9 March 2025. “ACB has assigned former top-order Pakistani player Younis Khan as Mentor for Champions Trophy 2025. He will join the team before the event starts in Pakistan,” said Sayeed Naseem Sadat, spokesman for the ACB. Younis Khan led Pakistan to victory in the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup and has also served in various coaching roles, including a stint with Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and as head coach for the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. Afghanistan, which has been growing as a competitive team in recent years, will look to strengthen its performance at the 2025 Champions Trophy. The team is placed in Group B alongside Australia, South Africa, and England, while Group A consists of Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.