Pakistan coach Younis to quit after Zimbabwe tour

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan coach Waqar Younis announced Saturday he will step down after the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.

The former fast bowler said he had resigned "a few days back" but while accepting his resignation, the Pakistan Cricket Board asked him to stay on for the Zimbabwe tour, beginning Aug. 28.

"There are few personal reasons behind my decision to resign and nothing else," Younis said. "Whatever time I had spent with the Pakistan team, I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Younis took over from Intikhab Alam last year and was in charge when Pakistan reached the semifinals of the World Cup in March, losing to archrival India.

However, Younis has also had to deal with several off-field controversies, including the suspension of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt for spot-fixing during a test match against England in August 2010.

Younis also criticized former one-day captain Shahid Afridi in his tour report of West Indies. Afridi later quit international cricket in protest and said he would only return once the current setup of the PCB changes.

"When you live in a family there are differences, but I have nothing against anyone," Younis said. "I don't have any complaints against anyone, it's my personal decision and there are some medical reasons behind it."

Despite the off-field dramas, Pakistan managed to compete against tough opponents like South Africa, England and Australia, and at the World Cup, Afridi and Younis combined well to guide an unfancied team into the semifinals.

"We defeated teams like South Africa, beat West Indies in West Indies and reached the World Cup semifinal ... these are the things which nobody will be able to take away from me," Younis said.

Younis said he informed the players about his decision to quit on Saturday and they were "shocked."

"I hope they will understand," he said. "If I managed to solve my personal problem only then I will see if I could make a comeback. But in the near future it doesn't look like a possibility."

The Pakistan squad leaves for Zimbabwe next week and will play one test, three ODIs and two Twenty20 matches against the hosts.