Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Captaincy ambitions of seniors fuelled revolt against me in 2009: Younis Khan

Captaincy ambitions of seniors fuelled revolt against me in 2009: Younis Khan

FORMER Pakistan skipper Younis Khan has claimed that the 2009 revolt of players against him had its roots in the captaincy ambitions of seniors like Shahid Afridi.

Younis claimed that the revolt was not carried out because the players were unhappy with his captaincy style or “strong attitude”.


"If the players had problems with me, they could have spoken to me. They claimed that they didn't want me removed as captain but just wanted the cricket board to speak to me to change my attitude," Younis told a TV channel.

"Then how was it that when the player (s) met with the then PCB chairman, Ejaz Butt, one senior player, apparently Afridi, demanded the captain be changed. To me it was about captaincy ambitions," said the highest Test run-getter for Pakistan.

Younis also confirmed that a player (said to be Umar Akmal) had come to his room to ask for the Holy Quran and took it saying he wanted it because some players wanted to recite some Sarah's before an important match.

The former captain said the same Holy Quran was later used to ask the players to take oath on it that they would not reveal anything that was discussed at the revolting players’ meeting in South Africa during the Champions Trophy.

Ironically after Younis resigned in late 2009, Misbah-ul-Haq and Afridi captained Pakistan in red and white-ball cricket.

Younis said he had spent the last four years of his career with Pakistan remaining in his room all the time and just focussing on his cricket.

He was also asked about the infamous incident when in 2016 he abruptly announced his retirement from ODIs on the day before a match against England.

"It was not abrupt at all. I had made a decision beforehand I would retire from ODIs as I was not selected in the ODI eleven for the last two years.

"On the night before the match, chief selector Haroon Rasheed called me and I told him I was thinking about retirement from ODIs and he turned around and told me rudely that it was up to me. But he had got me selected for the series against England and I (Younis) should just listen to the team management and play as they wanted.

"I was very upset with his tone and that was why I announced my retirement the next morning."

More For You

Sarm Heslop

Friends describe Sarm, 41, as a “free spirit” who embraced adventure

MissingSarmHeslop

Sarm Heslop: BBC documentary explores the mystery around disappearance of British woman

Highlights:

  • CCTV footage released to the BBC shows Sarm Heslop boarding a dinghy with boyfriend Ryan Bane on the night she vanished.
  • Six hours later, she was reported missing from his yacht in the US Virgin Islands.
  • Her body has never been found, and her disappearance remains unsolved.
  • Police say the timeline provided by Bane is inconsistent with verified CCTV evidence.
  • Friends and family continue to press for answers, calling for a murder investigation.

The last sighting

Newly released CCTV footage shows British woman Sarm Heslop and her boyfriend Ryan Bane leaving a bar in St John, US Virgin Islands, on 7 March 2021. The couple can be seen boarding a dinghy and motoring into the Caribbean night, heading for Bane’s yacht, Siren Song.

Six hours later, Sarm was reported missing. Despite an extensive search, she has never been found.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nitin Ganatra art exhibition

Through abstract forms, bold colour, and layered compositions

thelax.art

Nitin Ganatra debuts first solo art exhibition in London’s Soho

Highlights:

  • Fragments of Belonging is Nitin Ganatra’s first solo exhibition
  • Opens Saturday, September 27, at London Art Exchange in Soho Square
  • Show explores themes of memory, displacement, identity, and reinvention
  • Runs from 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM, doors open at 3:15 PM

From screen to canvas

Actor Nitin Ganatra, known for his roles in EastEnders, Bride & Prejudice, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is embarking on a new artistic chapter with his debut solo exhibition.

Titled Fragments of Belonging, the show marks his transition from performance to painting, presenting a deeply personal series of works at the London Art Exchange in Soho Square on September 27.

Keep ReadingShow less
Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mandelson-Getty

Starmer dismissed Mandelson on Thursday after reading emails published by Bloomberg in which Mandelson defended Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Minister says Mandelson should never have been appointed

A CABINET minister has said Peter Mandelson should not have been made UK ambassador to the US, as criticism mounted over prime minister Keir Starmer’s judgment in appointing him.

Douglas Alexander, the Scotland secretary, told the BBC that Mandelson’s appointment was seen as “high-risk, high-reward” but that newly revealed emails changed the situation.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

We are living faster than ever before

AMG

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

Shiveena Haque

Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still

When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.

Keep ReadingShow less