"I had no justification to stay on when Misbah resigned" - Waqar Younis on stepping down as Pakistan's bowling coach
Former Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis has opened up on his abrupt departure from the post. Waqar Younis joined head coach Misbah-ul-Haq as the duo stepped down, leaving the national team in uncertainty before the T20 World Cup.
Following their resignations, the duo faced backlash as several former cricketers were left puzzled by their sudden exit. Shoaib Akhtar labeled the decision 'cowardly' and blamed them for leaving the team in limbo. In contrast, Aaqib Javed advised Younis to learn how to coach for his future roles.
Misbah and Waqar step down from coaching roles
More details ➡️ pcb.com.pk/press-release-… https://t.co/Ymm6Gak9Rq
Meanwhile, Waqar Younis said it made no sense to keep his position after Misbah-ul-Haq quit. The 49-year-old also revealed he hardly had any say in team selection but supported the players picked for the T20 World Cup.
"I had no justification to stay on when Misbah resigned. Before we got sacked, we decided to resign ourselves. I never had any role in selecting the team. People always speculated that I had a role in deciding who plays and who doesn't. I am not in a position, at the moment, to criticise anyone. Shoaib Malik is the fittest athlete in Pakistan cricket at the moment while Azam Khan has a lot of talent," Younis said, as quoted by Geo Tv.
Notably, Younis and Misbah-Ul-Haq had a year left on their contracts after taking charge in September 2019. However, they were already under the scanner after the team suffered several overseas losses.
Waqar Younis hits back at Aaqib Javed over Pakistan coaching role exit
Younis responded to Javed's comments by pointing out that it was he and Misbah who nurtured promising pacemen by providing them with a pathway to success.
"Talent comes from the first-class and domestic cricket. We were the ones who mentored Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem Shah over the past two years," said Younis.
Left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi has seen a meteoric rise in recent months. The young pace spearhead recently broke into the top ten Test bowling rankings after shining against the West Indies in the Caribbean.