Pakistan to Miss Captain Younis Khan for Champions Trophy Opener

Pakistan is going to start their Champions Trophy 2009 mission on Wednesday when they take on depleted West Indies in the first game of Group A. However, the twenty20 champions will miss the service of captain Younis Khan for the West Indies game. The batsman sustained a finger injury during last Friday’s practice match against Sri Lanka.

In his absence, all rounder Shahid Afridi will lead Pakistan and it is expected that Younis Khan will be fit enough to feature for the next game against arch rival India on next Saturday. Well, it is definitely a blow to Pakistan camp as they will not only miss his leadership but also his contribution with bat at the top order.

Well, Shahid Afridi has grown up well as a leader over the years and I do not think that Pakistan will have to suffer a lot on leadership ground. However, there is no doubt, Younis’ absence has left a void in the Pakistan top order and it will be crucial for Pakistan to fill up the void.