Mohammad Yusuf appointed as head coach of Pakistan U-19: PCB

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Mohammad Yousuf was named the head coach of the Pakistan U-19 team by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday (November 18). The former Pak middle-order batter will take charge of the team ahead of the ACC U-19 Asia Cup in UAE next month.

However, the main challenge for Mohammad Yousuf will be the ICC U-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka next year from January 13 to February 4. The 49-year-old retired cricketer, who scored over 17,000 international runs, previously served as the batting coach of the Pakistan men's team and also worked with the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

Among one of the most distinguished batters of his era, Mohammad Yousuf scored 7,530 Test and 9,720 ODI runs between 1998 and 2010. He memorably scored 1788 Test runs in a calendar year in 2006. Speaking after his appointment, Mohammad Yusuf thanked PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf for the opportunity.

"I am pleased to join as Pakistan U19 head coach and feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to contribute to Pakistan cricket by Chairman PCB Management Committee Mr Zaka Ashraf.

"I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming U19 Asia Cup and ICC U19 World Cup tournaments, which are crucial to the players' growth and we will be aiming to do our best in these events.

"Having had the privilege of working with the senior men's side, I will bring my coaching experience to the U19 set-up, providing a nurturing environment for the young talents to thrive and make a mark on the international level.

Zaka Ashraf also met retired batter Younis Khan recently for a role with the junior team and could be selected for the batting coach's role soon. Meanwhile, former seamer Sohail Tanvir has been appointed as the chief selector of the junior team and will be picking the squad for the U-19 Asia Cup soon. This will be the 10th edition of the tournament since 1989 and Pakistan are yet to win it while India are eight-time and reigning champions.

Pakist