PCB asks players not to talk about Flower-Younis controversy

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday asked the players on the England tour to refrain from saying anything about former batting coach Grant Flower’s stunning claim that ex-captain Younis Khan once held a knife to his throat on receiving some advice.

Flower made the claim during a podcast the other day in which he spoke about his nearly five-year stint with the Pakistan team — from 2014 to 2019.

“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,” said Grant.

Former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has, however, said it was a dining knife. Mickey said Younis disagreed with Grant Flower’s batting tips and brought a knife to his throat.

There was no official response but a PCB official confirmed the incident, saying it happened in Brisbane during the 2016 tour. He added that it was not anything serious but just friendly banter on the breakfast table.

The board sources stated that Grant was not being entirely truthful. “Younis apparently had jokingly picked up the butter knife and waved it around telling Grant to just let him have his breakfast end not give advice at the breakfast table,” a source said.

Younis, who is now the batting coach of Pakistan, is unlikely to respond to Grant’s narration of what happened, the source added.

The PCB official said that it was disappointing to see a former coach disclosing confidential information.

The media manager now with the team in Worcestershire said there would be no comments on the matter.

Younis scored 0 and 65 in the Brisbane Test, 21 and 24 in the Melbourne Test and 175 not out and 13 in the last Test in Sydney.