The former skipper, who recently arrived from Sydney, said the country has a few important series coming up this year – Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand – that will play a vital role in maintaining the players’ form while heading into next year’s World Cup.
“There is enough time to make preparations as we’ve got competitive series coming up against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand,” said Younis while speaking to reporters in Lahore on Tuesday.
“Obviously our main target is the World Cup, but we can’t overlook the importance of the upcoming tours, which will help us strike the right balance and gain momentum.
“I’ll try to bring in my previous coaching experience during my stint with Pakistan because even then, we didn’t have too much time but were able to prepare well for the 2011 edition.”
The former player said that he had taken up the job with a positive frame of mind as he felt the national squad could match any side in the world under the right guidance.
Asked what his plans were for the team, Younis stated that his main focus would be on improving the fielding and fitness of players.
Younis, who has represented Pakistan in 87 Tests and 267 one-dayers, also expressed that even though there are exciting youngsters in the Pakistan line-up, the team could not solely rely on them for the mega event due to testing conditions in Australia and New Zealand.
“We need to rethink about the senior players who are nearing 40, but we can’t overrule their importance either as World Cup conditions will be testing and Pakistan needs to have a right blend of experience and youth,” explained Younis, adding that he was looking forward to working with bowling coach Grant Flower who was known for his good work ethics.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2014.
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