I am extremely disappointed and hurt, expresses Mickey Arthur after getting the axe
Mickey Arthur has said that he had worked to the best of his abilities to make the Pakistan cricket team achieve success and was thus agonized on not having been able to secure a contract extension. His sacking was announced soon after a meeting of the PCB committee in which they decided the same.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Wednesday its decision to part ways with its present coaching staff and look to hire new personnel in an effort to rejuvenate the cricket team after an underwhelming World Cup campaign. Mickey Arthur, who had been the head coach for three years, led the team through numerous ups and downs but a group stage exit was the final nail in the coffin for him.
“I am extremely disappointed and hurt. I did my wholehearted effort to lift Pakistan cricket,” the 51-year-old was quoted saying by the AFP after the announcement, reported Hindustan Times.
Arthur had helped the team to win its first ICC trophy in eight years when they won the Champions Trophy in England two years ago. However, he has by large failed to replicate his success in the longer formats of the game, especially in Tests. Under his tenure, the team played 28 tests of which they lost 17 and won only 10, while in ODIs, the team had a winning rate of only 43.93 percent.
“We also became world number one in Twenty20 cricket in this period, which was an achievement,” Arthur pointed out.
However, in the recently concluded World Cup, the team finished with five wins out of nine and accumulated a decent eleven points but it wasn’t enough to proceed to the semifinals as they ended fifth. The other coaches Grant Flower and Azhar Mahmood were also shown the door,
“PCB will be immediately undertaking a robust recruitment process after it decided not to renew the contracts of head coach Arthur, bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, batting coach Grant Flower and trainer Grant Luden,” the PCB said in a statement, which added the new staff will be appointed following evaluation of the World Cup performances by a four man committee.
The sack was made official in less than a week after the PCB Committee had met to discuss the matter, which includes eminent retired cricketers such as Wasim Akram and Misbah ul-Haq.
“The committee comprised of individuals who possess tremendous acumen, experience and knowledge. The unanimous recommendation of the committee was that it was time for new leadership and a fresh approach,” PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said.
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