‘Disappointed and hurt’ – Mickey Arthur responds after getting sacked as the Pakistan coach

Back in May 2016, Mickey Arthur was appointed as the coach of the Pakistan national team following its disappointing campaign in the 2016 World T20. Though the Men in Green achieved the number-one ranking in the T20I format under his tutelage, performances in Test and ODI cricket remained inconsistent. Pakistan is currently ranked seventh in ICC’s list of Test teams.

Pakistan also had a poor run in the 2019 World Cup where the team couldn’t progress beyond the league stages. Recently, Arthur got sacked from his position. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) committee, which includes Wasim Akram and Misbah-ul-Haq, met on Friday in Lahore and zeroed in on the decision. PCB chief Ehsan Mani said that the entire coaching staff will be revamped.

I gave my cent per cent, Arthur says

“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,” Mani mentioned in a statement.

After getting removed, Arthur wasn’t a happy person by any stretch of the imagination and he expressed his grief and agony. “I am extremely disappointed and hurt. I put in my wholehearted effort to lift Pakistan cricket,” he was quoted as saying in cricket.com.au. Arthur’s contract expired after Pakistan’s indifferent campaign in the World Cup.

However, under Arthur, Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy. As per him, that victory, “brought on a whole new team of young players. We also became world number one in Twenty20 cricket in this period, which was an achievement,” he added.

Previously, Arthur asked for a two-year extension in order to resurrect the state of cricket in the country. Under Arthur, Pakistan won only 10 out of their 28 Tests, losing 17 with one draw. Pakistan has also tended to strain in the 50-over format, having won 29 of 66 matches under the South African, losing 34 with three as no-results.

As far as Arthur is concerned, he is next in line to become the England coach after Trevor Bayliss bids goodbye to the Three Lions following the ongoing Ashes. For Pakistan’s new coaching staff, the country’s cricket board will be advertising very soon.

List of Virat Kohli’s ridiculously expensive assets