Kamran Akmal Recalls Interesting Story of Younis Khan’s Captaincy in 2009 WC

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Former wicket-keeper, Kamran Akmal has recalled a surprising decision made by Younis Khan during the crucial stage of the T20 World Cup 2009 in England.

During a podcast, Akmal shared how Younis Khan surprised the team with his unexpected choice of batting first after winning the toss against the Netherlands.

Kamran mentioned that to improve their run rate to qualify for the next stage, teams often opt to bowl first given the usual strategy in such situations.

The wicket-keeper added that Pakistan needed a significant victory margin in that match, as their advancement to the next stage relied on net run rate.

However, Kamran Akmal recalled that despite consulting with the management and teammates a day before the match, Younis Khan chose to bat first after winning the toss.

The wicket-keeper went on to say that the teammates questioned the skipper, but he defended his choice by emphasizing that their responsibility was just to play and win.

Pakistan was placed in Group B along with England and the Netherlands. The unexpected outcomes led the teams in the group to hinge their fate on the run rate.

England suffered a defeat against the Netherlands but won against Pakistan. It meant that the Men in Green had to win their match by a big margin against the Netherlands.

The Green Shirts bounced back strongly and defeated the Netherlands by 82 runs, qualifying for the next stage and eventually becoming the champions.

Source: Pro Pakistani