A peon entered the room and told Shaharyar Khan, “Sir, Younis Khan is here to meet you.” The PCB chairman was busy in another meeting at the time, so he replied, “Ask him to wait for five minutes, I’ll call him in.”

When this message was conveyed to Younis Khan, he became furious. “I am the captain of the Pakistan team and they’re asking me to wait?” At that moment, media representatives were also present on the ground floor of Gaddafi Stadium. In front of them, Younis Khan announced that he was stepping down as captain. The board, in a last-minute decision, handed over the captaincy to Mohammad Yousuf for the 2006 Champions Trophy. Shaharyar Khan also resigned after some time.

Despite winning the T20 World Cup, there was a rebellion among teammates due to his harsh attitude. After returning to the team in 2015, he suddenly announced retirement from ODIs after playing just one match in a series. He quit a coaching course after objecting to being given Mudassar Nazar’s room at the academy. When he wasn’t placed in Category A of the central contract, he made the famous remark, “Should I shoot myself?” He resigned as batting coach, had a fight with Hasan Ali, and these are just a few examples.

Younis Khan has as many controversies attached to him as he has achievements for Pakistan cricket. Many former PCB chiefs have said, “It is very difficult to deal with Younis Khan.” Now that the board is once again considering giving him a role, the question arises: who will handle him? If he gets upset and walks away, who will bring him back?

One solution could be to appoint the person advocating for his inclusion as team manager, so they can act as a bridge between the board and Younis. However, players might not be happy with that. Let’s see what decision the authorities make.

Some people have the problem of considering themselves the smartest, most honest, and most authoritative individuals. They believe they know everything better than others and give little importance to anyone else. They are slaves to their ego. In such cases, you never know when something might offend them and provoke a strong reaction.

There is no doubt that Younis Khan is among Pakistan cricket’s greatest stars, but his personality has earned him few friends. At times, the entire board would be searching for him while he had his phone switched off and was out fishing.

In such a situation, the board must think things through beforehand. His experience can certainly benefit young cricketers, but before assigning him a role, it should be clearly defined what his domain will be, who he will report to, which room he will get at the Lahore academy, and so on.

Among the public, Younis Khan has a very positive image. He maintained a clean career, staying away from corruption. Fans want him to be associated with the national team, but for that, he must also change himself leave his ego at home and come to Lahore focused solely on improving Pakistan cricket. There may be unpleasant moments along the way, but he must learn to overlook them.

The PCB should also use him carefully. Perhaps he can bring improvement to the team’s performance. Reports suggest he may be appointed as Test coach. If he gets this role, he will need to adopt a friendly approach with players, as excessive strictness can damage relationships.

Similarly, talks are ongoing about bringing Mohammad Hafeez into the board. After stepping down as team director following a change in chairman a few years ago, he openly criticized the authorities. Gradually, he became isolated, but with the help of a friend, matters have now improved.

Hafeez understands cricket well, but being repeatedly called “Professor” seems to have made him believe that no one understands matters better than he does. He is bold and capable of making decisions others might hesitate over like changing batting orders in the past.

Even now, he can contribute significantly to Pakistan cricket, but he too must work within his defined limits. There is no doubt that both Younis and Hafeez are sincere and want to do good for the country. However, they must avoid repeating past mistakes and start a new chapter.

The board wants to assign responsibilities to former cricketers with good reputations so they can put Pakistan cricket back on track. Now it is the responsibility of these former stars to not only look at their paychecks but also play a meaningful role in improving team performance.

Unfortunately, many former players have contributed little to the country. If they get a job in the board, everything is fine; if not, they criticize. Even when Pakistan defeated Australia, critics didn’t stay silent.

When India banned Pakistani commentators from the IPL, some lost tours and dollar earnings. Later, when Pakistani YouTube channels were restricted, some former cricketers lost their platforms entirely. Earlier, they used to promote Kohli and Rohit; now they are struggling to stay relevant.

However, Younis and Hafeez have stayed away from such matters. Since everyone else has been tried, perhaps it’s time to give them a chance as well.