“Younis Khan brought a knife to my throat”: Grant Flower’s shocking revelation!
Over the years, there has been no shortage of rivalries and heated exchanges between cricketers on the field. Some even took an ugly turn and went on to be named after the incidents. A lot of times, player outbursts and arguments have been restricted to the dressing room or the team hotel. Former Zimbabwe batsman Grant Flower’s recent revelation about Younis Khan has brought a new issue into the spotlight.
Flower, who represented Zimbabwe in 67 Tests and 221 ODIs, was also the batting coach of the Pakistan cricket team for nearly five years from 2014 to 2019. The former player spoke about a specific incident that occurred between him and veteran Pakistan batsman Younis Khan during his coaching stint.
What Flower said
Recently, Flower was in conversation with host Neil Manthorp alongside brother Andy on the ‘Following on Cricket’ podcast. On the show, Manthorp asked him about ‘tricky characters’ that he encountered during his coaching days.
“Younis Khan… quite tough to master,” Flower said in response.
“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.”
“Yeah, it’s been interesting. But that’s part of coaching. It makes it a hell of a journey, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m very fortunate to be in the position I am,” he added.
Neither the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) nor the Pakistan team management has officially responded to Flower’s claim, which dates back to Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 2016. However, a well-informed source in the board has reportedly said that the incident as described by Flower was just ‘friendly banter’ and not a serious threat.
“But the impression being spread by Grant Flower is not entirely true. 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,” the source said.
Younis was recently appointed as Pakistan’s batting coach ahead of their tour to England. The former skipper retired as Pakistan’s highest run-getter in Tests.
