"For us to grow as a team, we need someone in that top six getting hundreds" : Mickey Arthur

[Abdullah719]

"For us to grow as a team, we need someone in that top six getting hundreds" : Mickey Arthur

Mickey Arthur speaking to Ian Ward after England beat Pakistan in the second Test at Headingley:

"Incredibly disappointed, that was a poor display from us. Coming off such a high at Lord's, we're all about trying to get the consistency right and about trying to get us playing in the right style and manner, so incredibly disappointed with what we've dished up here"

"We'll talk about it and have a hard discussion about it. But the dressing room is gutted and if we learn from this, it's a young team and we can grow, and grow quicker"

"We are trying to grow, it's a young dressing room and the guys are feeling what it's like to play tough Test cricket over an extended period. There's a lot of guys that haven't done that, only four have been in England before"

"Our expectation is still more and these guys will take it in the chin and hopefully grow and learn from it"

"Inconsistency is one of the things that comes with a young team, however hard that is to take for all of us at the moment"

"What the batsmen did right at Lord's is that they were patient, they committed to their defence and attack and showed intent. We got the balance wrong here, we weren't as disciplined and patient"

"We won what was a fairly good toss, there was always going to be something in the wicket but we had to get through a session and a half, then the sun came out and the conditions became really good for batting later in the day"

"If we got a big score, we could've put them under pressure but we could never do that at 180"

"The key thing we're going to discuss is that a number of batsmen got starts but didn't get hundreds, for us to grow as a team, we need someone in that top six getting hundreds consistently"

"The Buttler chance was massive, we knew the time it went down, it had the potential to be big and it was. I thought Shadab had bowled a good spell till then and it would've capped it off so nicely, in terms of the confirmance for him that he belongs as this level but it happens"

"I thought we fielded and caught well, I think we've done many things right in this series, just disappointed at the eventual outcome"

"I can't fault the players' effort, the way they've worked, they're hungry and determined and want to do well for Pakistan. Most of the players have advanced their cause and it confirms that we're on the right track. Yeah, we need to dish out a couple of hidings tonight but that's how they grow"

"The talent in the dressing room is phenomenal, we've just got to get the consistency back and that's what we're striving for as a coaching team"

 

[Markhor]

That's a big issue which Mickey needs to address. I read that Haris, Babar and Sarfraz haven't scored FC hundreds in years whilst Imam only has 4 centuries in 38 FC matches. You can't expect to post totals of 400+ without at least one batsman making their innings count.

Some of these batsmen should look to Younis Khan and how he'd cash in on his starts.

 

[batfirst]

I bet Fawad Alam has more FC hundreds than most batsmen in Pak team.
I think Imam ul Haq is not good enough, Fakhar should replace him in next
tour.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Not much to argue with there. I am still to be convinced about some of the top order newcomers, but they deserve a chance. it's possible that the experience will stand them in good stead - I do think Imam might go on to be a decent opener, he has a good temperament.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Well, not having Sarfraz in the top 6 and a better opener than Imam would certainly help the chances of that occurring...

 

[Abdullah719]

That's a big issue which Mickey needs to address. I read that Haris, Babar and Sarfraz haven't scored FC hundreds in years whilst Imam only has 4 centuries in 38 FC matches. You can't expect to post totals of 400+ without at least one batsman making their innings count.

Some of these batsmen should look to Younis Khan and how he'd cash in on his starts.

Not to worry, I'm sure all is well in First-Class cricket where there's many batsmen learning the art of building innings and piling on big scores on excellent, sporting pitches...

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

No one from English side scored a 100 Mickey, Buttler scored 80* thanks to 2 drop catches. Babar had 68* too with 1 drop catch. These were tough conditions and the youngsters did well. Blame lies more on Azhar, Asad and Sarfraz. In Asia you will see more hundreds but we need a wc player of spin, may be time to give Faadi a chance.

 

[Hasan123]

Our domestic cricket doesn't allow players to bat for long enough to learn how to score big 100s. That's a big problem.

 

[Adil_94]

Yup likes of Haris Babar need to start getting daddy hundreds now. 50s wont cut it

 

[Pete Rose]

I think it’s all obliquely referring to azhar Asad and maybe Sarfaraz. And that’s fair. They need to cop it for this game

 

[srh]

That's a big issue which Mickey needs to address. I read that Haris, Babar and Sarfraz haven't scored FC hundreds in years whilst Imam only has 4 centuries in 38 FC matches. You can't expect to post totals of 400+ without at least one batsman making their innings count.

Some of these batsmen should look to Younis Khan and how he'd cash in on his starts.

Why not select players in the team who have already scored 100s in domestic FC cricket?

 

[Abdullah719]

Why not select players in the team who have already scored 100s in domestic FC cricket?

Haris has 11 FC hundreds.
Usman has 20 FC hundreds.
Saad Ali has 9 FC hundreds.
Sami Aslam has 8 FC hundreds.

But everyone wants to get rid of them already so what's the point? May as well fire Inzi and have PP posters in charge so we can have a different squad of 15 for every match.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

have PP posters in charge so we can have a different squad of 15 for every match.

Hahahah quote of all time
Best solution to all problems

 

[Khan12]

Haris has 11 FC hundreds.
Usman has 20 FC hundreds.
Saad Ali has 9 FC hundreds.
Sami Aslam has 8 FC hundreds.

But everyone wants to get rid of them already so what's the point? May as well fire Inzi and have PP posters in charge so we can have a different squad of 15 for every match.

It's their fault haris should have scored 6 or 7 centuries in the12 he has batted and I don't know why Usman didn't score 2 in this match.

 

[moghul]

Only those team go with 5 batsmen which have very good WK batsman , not like Sarfaraz.

 

[boomboom6]

This really should be directed at Azhar & Shafiq who were duds on this tour ... Infact time to move on from both of them!

 

[The_Odd_One]

Only those team go with 5 batsmen which have very good WK batsman , not like Sarfaraz.

Teams go with 5 batsmen if they have at least 2 batsmen who can score big hundreds regularly.

 

[boomboom6]

Haris has 11 FC hundreds.
Usman has 20 FC hundreds.
Saad Ali has 9 FC hundreds.
Sami Aslam has 8 FC hundreds.

But everyone wants to get rid of them already so what's the point? May as well fire Inzi and have PP posters in charge so we can have a different squad of 15 for every match.

Sami has been utterly mediocre, he got his chances and did not avail them ... All they have to do is select the next man up until they find someone who can do the job ... It is NOT rocket science!

Haris is only 5 tests old, making a comeback after 2+ years, Usman just made his debut. They deserve more rope.

Azhar & Shafiq on other hand don't after playing over 100+ tests between them.

 

[UN talkz]

More quotes from Mickey Arthur :-

"Yes, it was very disappointing. We made such great strides during this tour so to lose this way was very disappointing"

"We talk about the fact that we wont win every game, but I can tell you that yesterday we surrendered"

"The growth of this team over this tour has been amazing"

"These young boys have worked unbelivably hard"

"Can't fault the efforts and we have made great strides on this tour as a Test team"

"That was part of our debrief yesterday [that] Azhar and Asad need to standup and get big runs for us"

"They [Azhar & Asad] are aware of it and they work extremely hard"

"I just hope that they will take over that mantle over when we get back to UAE against Australia and New Zealand"

"You are never satisfied [with 1-1 result], you want to win"

"We trained hard and we put in a hell of a lot of effort into this series"

"To get a 1-1 result is OK but we wanted to win it"

"Progress of these young players has been amazing and they will all be better for this tour for Pakistan cricket and its good for the direction we want to take this team [on]"

 

[iniqbal223]

I second with Mickey and his vision for Pak cricket. Main issues that needs to be addressed:

1) Too less test matches [Long gaps between test series] : How on earth players like Azhar and Asad do well, when we are playing test matches after almost 6/7 months. This is really unfair to both the batsmen. Any good quality player can face slump because of less number of high standard cricket they play in an year. Also , considering the tough situations of UK, I think both have done reasonably well. But results could have been much better from both of them.

2) Issues with Sarfaraz batting : He needs time. And he seriously needs to come up the order in ODIs. He cant be hiding at number 6/7.

 

[Abdullah719]

No hundreds in SA so far.

Doesn't help that the only batsmen who are (relatively) good at scoring hundreds in FC cricket i.e. Fawad Alam, Usman Salahuddin, Haris Sohail and Saad Ali aren't in the team for different reasons.

Anyway, until the pitches don't improve in domestic cricket, this problem will continue.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

And yet you dropped Usman and Saad and didnt pick Abid.

 

[Markhor]

Okay then why is Usman Salahuddin, Fawad Alam and Abid Ali ignored ? These are some of the most consistent centurymakers in domestic cricket who are being ignored.

Instead you are picking Shafiq because he looks good at the crease, Azhar because he is senior, Sarfraz who hasn't scored a century in years, and minnow bashers like Imam.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Very hard for top 6 batsman to get 100's when two of the most experienced batsman in the team are going out for ducks.

 

[Boi]

16% 50 to 100 conversion rate for our batsmen in the last 2 years. Lowest of all Test playing nations.

 

[Abdullah]

Babar has to take some blame today. Sarfaraz was happy go lucky, but he had shadab and faheem after sarfaraz who can play. Awful shot, but it is his first self inflicted dismissal of the tour

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan went from 169/5 to 185 all out.<br>Last 5 wickets for 16 runs in the space of 38 balls.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1084055420870770688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Majid Khan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan went from 169/5 to 185 all out.<br>Last 5 wickets for 16 runs in the space of 38 balls.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1084055420870770688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And that’s with two so-called ‘all rounders’ brought into the team to strengthen the lower order batting , that’s a plan that’s worked well then.

 

[Snak3eye5]

The only way this team can grow is to induct youngsters who have proven themselves and remove the current seniors who have failed in the last 10 games. We need to include Saad, Saud , and Rizwan who are better than the current hacks. India has allready inducted youngsters like Pant. Why aren’t we doing the same?

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Might happen once Mickey realizes Asad and Azhar are done.

When will this happen? They are really lucky that there is no test cricket in the next 10 months so Asad Azhar will have all the time in the world to show their worth in FC.

 

[Barragan]

Then you should have included Salahudin and Saad in the 11.

They were picked, but no opportunity given and the useless selector won't pick them now.

The useless one is the biggest culprit, but Micky has also played his part.

 

[Zaz]

maybe if they inducted some domestic batsmen who have made consistent hundreds over the years we wouldnt be having this issue

just a thought

 

[Amjid Javed]

Picking 5 batsmen in this test including two seniors who are failures and a tail that starts at 6 with 2 so called all rounders after who combined are just about 1 player.

Time for proper new batsmen to come into the team.

 

[Majid Khan]

I remember many years ago in 90s discussing with a friend and complaining how Pakistani batsmen these days (Saeed Anwar, Ijaz, Inzamam and co.) would only get 100s and did not have the ability like Miandad and Zaheer to go on and score big 150s and double tons.

And then I remember in the 2000s/2010s complaining that these modern day batsmen like Nazir, Farhat, Hameed, Shezad, Akmals get 50s, 60s and 70s but dont have it in them to score 100s regularly like their seniors.

But never in wildest dreams did I imagine we will be moving on the next generation of Pakistani batsmen who will look like the best batsmen in the team and walk out with pride knowing they have cemented their places, having only scored quarter-centuries (25s).

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

I remember many years ago in 90s discussing with a friend and complaining how Pakistani batsmen these days (Saeed Anwar, Ijaz, Inzamam and co.) would only get 100s and did not have the ability like Miandad and Zaheer to go on and score big 150s and double tons.

And then I remember in the 2000s/2010s complaining that these modern day batsmen like Nazir, Farhat, Hameed, Shezad, Akmals get 50s, 60s and 70s but dont have it in them to score 100s regularly like their seniors.

But never in wildest dreams did I imagine we will be moving on the next generation of Pakistani batsmen who will look like the best batsmen in the team and walk out with pride knowing they have cemented their places, having only scored quarter-centuries (25s).

Well said. It sums up the state of Pakistan cricket perfectly.

Leaving T20 cricket aside we are at the level of WI, SL and Zim at the moment with batsmen failing to survive 30 balls let alone a session!

It's the harsh reality, once we accept this something might change at grass root level. Things can not continue like this. Guys under 16 need a more professionalized nurturing in order to revive Pakistani cricket.

 

[Amjid Javed]

maybe if they inducted some domestic batsmen who have made consistent hundreds over the years we wouldnt be having this issue

just a thought

Such thoughts are wasted. Seniors wont be dropped and Inzi only selects other batsmen as token gesture back ups

 

[Majid Khan]

Well said. It sums up the state of Pakistan cricket perfectly.

Leaving T20 cricket aside we are at the level of WI, SL and Zim at the moment with batsmen failing to survive 30 balls let alone a session!

It's the harsh reality, once we accept this something might change at grass root level. Things can not continue like this. Guys under 16 need a more professionalized nurturing in order to revive Pakistani cricket.

And the main reason the Pakistan team is good at T20 level is it’s the only format where you can get away with the batsmen combining to deliver an innings total of 150 or 160, with 3 quarter-centurions scoring majestic 30s and 40s.

 

[Markhor]

Well said. It sums up the state of Pakistan cricket perfectly.

Leaving T20 cricket aside we are at the level of WI, SL and Zim at the moment with batsmen failing to survive 30 balls let alone a session!

It's the harsh reality, once we accept this something might change at grass root level. Things can not continue like this. Guys under 16 need a more professionalized nurturing in order to revive Pakistani cricket.

Sadly we seem content with our mediocrity. Happy to be a big fish in the meaningless pond of T20Is where only we play full strength teams.

Like the last three dismal winters, amnesia will set in once we hear the PSL jingle and we distract ourselves with six weeks of second rate competition.

Then with the World Cup looming the problems of the Test side will be ignored, and we stumble onwards !

 

[Justcrazy]

Micky Arthur and Grant Flower should be removed after WC , Pakistan need someone like Andy Flower as Director of cricket , and given long term plans to develop a team , rather than looking for short term .

 

[Asif khan]

i remember many years ago in 90s discussing with a friend and complaining how pakistani batsmen these days (saeed anwar, ijaz, inzamam and co.) would only get 100s and did not have the ability like miandad and zaheer to go on and score big 150s and double tons.

And then i remember in the 2000s/2010s complaining that these modern day batsmen like nazir, farhat, hameed, shezad, akmals get 50s, 60s and 70s but dont have it in them to score 100s regularly like their seniors.

But never in wildest dreams did i imagine we will be moving on the next generation of pakistani batsmen who will look like the best batsmen in the team and walk out with pride knowing they have cemented their places, having only scored quarter-centuries (25s).

potw

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Sadly we seem content with our mediocrity. Happy to be a big fish in the meaningless pond of T20Is where only we play full strength teams.

Like the last three dismal winters, amnesia will set in once we hear the PSL jingle and we distract ourselves with six weeks of second rate competition.

Then with the World Cup looming the problems of the Test side will be ignored, and we stumble onwards !

it's time that people accepted our mediocrity in REAL cricket.

Enjoy T20 all you want, but you cannot forgive these performances against a pretty weak SA side. Once people get real the people in the PCB might be forced to take things seriously.

 

[rhony]

It's time that people accepted our mediocrity in REAL cricket.

Enjoy T20 all you want, but you cannot forgive these performances against a pretty weak SA side. Once people get real the people in the PCB might be forced to take things seriously.

It's not a weak SA bowling. It's probably their best ever. Yes the failures are a bit because of the lack of skill, like Azhar with short stuff, but it is.more to do with lack of partnerships.

One batsman at the top has to.stand like a rock while others play around him. It's similar to one bowler attacking and the rest supporting by not leaking any runs and keeping the pressure.

Babar is wasted at the bottom. He can be the guy that can score hundreds. He should have been slotted at 4 in this test. Mickey can say what ever he wants but if you keep repeating the same mistakes and expect different results, you are stupid. There is no reason for Babar to languish at 6.

 

[Saj]

It would be nice if the whole of the top 6 managed to score 100 runs between them.

 

[Hasan123]

Than select batters who can score 100s and not ones who play due to experience.

 

[yasir]

Entire batting lineup is getting out on one specific delivery aka short ball, there is hardly any other magic. A new comer bowler has taken 15 wickets just on short ball, this is not a mystery but a glaring technical flaw.

One of the main reason is playing in uae, which has extremely low and slow bounce, now we are playing at extremely high and fast wickets, that’s why in last 10 years when we go to SA and AUS, not just we loose big we look like loosing by innings and under 3 days, thanks again to our uae setup, where mediocre talent escape reality check. We live by Azhar, Hafeez, Shafiq, Misbah for 10 years without knowing their real quality, every body was always pointing to their fake 40+ avg reason for not dumping them.

Not playing at home is really costing us big time, we cannot produce quality fast bowler or batsman in our current setup, as I mention earlier we are not investing in home grounds nor uae is quality setup, it’s regression from what we had in Pakistan. We never played on such low and slow wickets so consistently, poor habits seeps into the team, plus fast bowler has no role to play...Quality of domestic grounds go unchecked means 120k bowlers have avg in teens, those are all useless trundlers. Pakistan has not produced fast bowler since Amir, who is shadow of his past. Accidentally that was the time we left home and camped into desert. Everything has gone south from that point. Policies of Amry has not just effected social and economic prosperity but Cricket is ruined for good as well

 

[Usman Chadda]

Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed are the sole reason we have bombed in Test cricket since MisYou retired. Everyone else, despite being young and inexperienced, have done their bit and infact carried the team from time to time. Specially disappointed by how Azhar and Shafiq have literally crashed and done absolutely zilch, when so much was expected of them.

 

[WengerOut]

Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed are the sole reason we have bombed in Test cricket since MisYou retired. Everyone else, despite being young and inexperienced, have done their bit and infact carried the team from time to time. Specially disappointed by how Azhar and Shafiq have literally crashed and done absolutely zilch, when so much was expected of them.

Harsh on Azhar. He has done his max. Yes, he is past now and should be booted out but to say he has done nothing is disrespecting his service. There is no one in this line up who is ready yet to replace a peak Azhar.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Harsh on Azhar. He has done his max. Yes, he is past now and should be booted out but to say he has done nothing is disrespecting his service. There is no one in this line up who is ready yet to replace a peak Azhar.

Since MisYou retired. Azhar is averaging in the high 20s, worse than Shafiq.

 

[WengerOut]

Since MisYou retired. Azhar is averaging in the high 20s, worse than Shafiq.

My bad. I missed the MisYou part