The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the contracts of Mickey Arthur, Azhar Mahmood, Grant Flower and Grant Luden, as the head coach, bowling coach, batting coach and trainer, respectively, will not be renewed. The four positions will be advertised and applicants will be gauged as per their credentials for the role.
Before we look ahead to potential successors, the move needs to be lauded. Given Pakistan’s showings in Test and ODI cricket over the past two years – two-thirds of the time period of the outgoing regime – showing Arthur the exit door was a bit of a no-brainer.
Mickey Arthur, however, disagrees. “I am extremely disappointed and hurt. I did my wholehearted effort to lift Pakistan cricket,” Arthur told AFP following PCB’s verdict.
With the Champions Trophy
What he didn’t say was how he was taking Pakistan cricket forward and showcasing progress, given that it would have been patently untrue. Pakistan cricket has regressed over the past 24 months, often to historic lows, and it’s astounding that Arthur actually expected to continue.
The only reason he lasted his entire tenure was owing to two freakish coincidences. The first was the now cult 2-2 Test series in England in the summer of 2016 – Arthur’s first assignment – which catapulted Pakistan to the top of the ICC Test rankings for the very first time.
The second highlight of Arthur’s tenure, for which the South African can look to take some credit, is the 2017 Champions Trophy win. This was Pakistan’s second biggest win in ODI cricket after the 1992 World Cup, as the bottom ranked side stunned the world to win the second-most prestigious 50-over tournament.
However, as momentous as that achievement was, it turned out to be a flash in the pan, and a result of Pakistan being at their underdog best. The disasters that have ensued in ODI cricket over the two years since the Champions Trophy win vindicate that position.
These included series debacles against New Zealand, Australia and England, and another series defeat against South Africa, a disastrous Asia Cup campaign, culminating in a fifth-place finish at the World Cup after a record breaking 11-match losing streak – the worst in the history of Pakistan cricket.
History was made for the wrong reasons in Tests as well, as Pakistan lost its first ever full series in the UAE after being clean swept 2-0 by a depleted Sri Lanka in 2017. Pakistan lost 2-1 again next year against New Zealand – the Kiwis’ first away Test series win over Pakistan in 49 years.
With Grant Flower and Azhar Mehmood
Pakistan won 10 out of 28 Tests under Mickey Arthur, and 29 out of 66 ODIs – 15 of the 29 came in bilateral series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and West Indies.
The only format where Pakistan had unquestionable success under Arthur was the T20Is, where the side has maintained its position at the summit of the world rankings. That was the reason that extending his tenure till next year’s World T20 in Australia was under consideration for a while.
However, that would have been a short-term move catering to the least challenging format of the sport. For, as has been evident, Pakistan have largely deteriorated in all three aspects of the game – batting, bowling and fielding – the latter being especially shocking, since Arthur’s sides are traditionally good fielding units.
Among the names for Arthur’s successor is Misbah-ul-Haq. As endorsed in this space on many occasions, from his playing days, there is no finer cricketer in Pakistan than him. However, will it be too soon to put him straight to the hot seat, even though he has had success in the part-coaching role that he had during his time with Islamabad United where he led the side to two PSL crowns.
Let’s wait for PCB to announce the successor before dissecting the merits and demerits of the decision. What is equally important are the three other positions that have been vacated in the national team.
