Younis' sudden ODI retirement fuels rift rumours

The outspoken former captain told a foreign-based channel that he had been thinking about retiring from one-day cricket since 2011 due various cricketing and non-cricketing reasons.

"I had thought that I would retire from ODIs after one good series but unfortunately the time didn't come since I was shunted in and out of the ODI team," he said.

Younis also stated candidly that they were some people who didn't like his smile and some who didn't like his technique.

"But despite everything I have always given importance to my country and I even after retirement I don't want to be remembered for the number of runs or records I have broken. I want to be remembered as a true Pakistani and a team man," Younis said.

The veteran batsman picked Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan as the two youngsters in the team who could replace him and be better than him.

Younis also said that some of his teammates had already got hints about his decision to retire from ODIs after the first match against England.

Younis is scheduled to return home tomorrow and also hold a press conference and sources close to him said he might make his feelings about his relations with the team management particularly head coach Waqar Younis very clear at the event.

Former captain Javed Miandad also expressed anger at the way Younis was put in a corner and forced to take retirement from ODIs.

"Younis has been a great servant of Pakistan cricket and he has achieved a lot but the circumstances in which he has announced his retirement today is a bad reflection on Pakistan cricket affairs," Miandad said.