Pakistan skipper Younis Khan on Tuesday left the nation shell-shocked when he resigned from captaincy over allegations of match-fixing aimed at his team’s successive defeats against Australia and New Zealand in the recently-concluded Champions Trophy with the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt refusing to accept the same on a day of high drama here in the federal capital.

Younis, who along with the senior management of the PCB was briefing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports on the reasons of defeat, got infuriated by the remarks from NA committee chairman Jamshed Ahmed Dasti after the MNA accused the team of ‘deliberately’ losing the pool match in the ICC Champions Trophy against Australia to push India out of the trophy.

Younis, who took strong exception to the allegations, insisted that their last-ball defeat against the Aussies was definitely not a ‘fixed’ game and to suggest any such thing was preposterous. He also refuted claims that Pakistan had thrown away their semi-final match against the lowly-ranked New Zealand in the event. ‘It is sad and painful for me and, in fact, I am hiding from my family members after these nasty allegations of match fixing. I have never fixed a match and never will,’ a visibly disturbed Younis informed the committee in an emotional tone. ‘I have brought my resignation with me and all of you [media persons] please put it on record that I have resigned from the captaincy,’ Younis said while flashing the resignation letter.

The surprise move from Younis stunned many in the committee room as the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt immediately reacted by handing the resignation back to Younis.