Younis turns down PCB's invitation to be special guest during second Test

Former captain Younis Khan has turned down Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) invitation to be a special guest during the second Test against Sri Lanka at the National Stadium here, starting Thursday.

PCB CEO Wasim Khan said that the PCB has invited Younis as a special guest keeping in line the board's policy to honour former greats during home matches.

But Younis, who had played an innings of 313 runs at the National Stadium when Pakistan last played a Test here also against Sri Lanka in February, 2009, has declined the invitation, an act which didn't go down well with the PCB.

"It is disappointing and upsetting that he is not coming. But Younis is a legend for us and it is his personal decision and we can't comment on that," Wasiom said.

Wasim, however, admitted that the PCB needs to improve its relationship with some former cricketers, who had not been treated well in the past.

"I am on good terms with him (Younis) and he is a legend for us and we would like to see him working one day with the board," he said.

The PCB has also invited former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad and ex-SriLanka skipper Bandula Warnapurra as special guests for the first Test in Rawalpindi. Both the players were captains of their sides when the first official Test was held between the two countries in 1982.

Miandad and Warnapura both attended the Test and were warmly welcomed by the crowd.

Younis is apparently upset with the PCB after he failed to get the charge of the national Under-19 squad few months back as the board didn't accept his demand of not working the National Cricket Academy.