Mickey Arthur - The man who deserves all the credit for where Pakistan team is today!

[Witcher]

It's not his fault if Pakistan has developed a mental block against India in ICC events... So I am not going to pass judgement on who will win.

But I am assured that he is trying to change the way our team generally played. I think the younger lot is responding to him because they are at a stage in their career where they can be mounted into whatever and however you want them to play.

Good job Mr. Arthur. If you manage to win that's icing on the cake.

In the long run... Rid us of remaining TTFs.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Professional intelligent hungry coach.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

He is better than Waqar easily but I think bowling coach deserves more credit.

The 2 guys who have turned the tides for Pakistan are Hasan Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed.

 

[Cricketfan2016]

I hope table won't turn after sunday

I want him to be remembered as a coach who got pak to finals after 8 years

 

[Markhor]

Hear hear ! Mickey is doing an excellent job with a very flawed squad. Imagine what he could do if we cleared the deadwood as well.

 

[Syed1]

Hear hear ! Mickey is doing an excellent job with a very flawed squad. Imagine what he could do if we cleared the deadwood as well.

Mickey Arthur has full power to influence selection decisions and he uses it to pick Muhammad Hafeez.

 

[Mamoon]

Tough times for Waqar fans. A qualified coach will always come through if he is given the right environment to succeed in.

Under the circumstances, Pakistan cannot get a better coach than Arthur. There are no comparisons between him and glorified fitness-trainer Waqar, who was one of the worst captains in history of Pakistan. PCB needs to keep hold of him for as long as he is willing to work with Pakistan cricket.

 

[Savak]

Tough times for Waqar fans. A qualified coach will always come through if he is given the right environment to succeed in.

Under the circumstances, Pakistan cannot get a better coach than Arthur. There are no comparisons between him and glorified fitness-trainer Waqar, who was one of the worst captains in history of Pakistan. PCB needs to keep hold of him for as long as he is willing to work with Pakistan cricket.

Nice of you to become anti Waqar now when i remember how you supported him as coach who had to work with poor players in the squad.

 

[Abdullah]

Mickey Arthur has full power to influence selection decisions and he uses it to pick Muhammad Hafeez.

Well it's worked. Vital bowling cog in the SA and Eng games.
And even in tests Mickey has known all along we need 5 bowlers son watch this space

 

[MilkyWay]

waqar isnt to blame here.. he wanted to do pretty much wat Arthur is doing... ie. improving fitness, getting rid of shahzad and akmal and tanvirs, he didnt have time on his side...

Ahmad Shahzad and Umar Akmal have just been xposed by youngsters.... hopefully haffez will go too... we need Harris sohail, Umar Amin, Hussain Talat and sharjeel khan (yes him) back in the XV ......

also, hassan ali and M Abbas have hopefully closed doors on the garbage players like rahat ali and wahab riaz... no more craps

 

[Mamoon]

Nice of you to become anti Waqar now when i remember how you supported him as coach who had to work with poor players in the squad.

People were correct in their assessment that Waqar doesn't seem to have a plan. He kept harping about aggressive cricket but we did not see anything new on the pitch. As soon as Arthur arrived, he identified Azhar as a Test opener and saw in Babar a player who could bat at 3 in all formats. If Waqar was still here, Azhar would still be opening and Babar would probably have been playing at 5/6.

I should have realized that earlier consider how inept Waqar was as a captain. A great coach doesn't have to be a great - or even a player in the first place, but a captain who is out of his depth tactically is highly unlikely to come good as a coach.

 

[badsha001]

It was Waqar Younis recommendation to drop Akmal and Shehzad from the team and PCB need to give extra attention to fitness.

Isn't Arthur and his team exactly doing at the moment?

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Brilliant coach. Sarfraz deserve credit as well and the 2 have formed an excellent partnership

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Brilliant coach. Sarfraz deserve credit as well and the 2 have formed an excellent partnership

Indeed !! After a long time I genuinely feel we're on to something with our LOI unit....

 

[Bewal Express]

I would go as far as to say that if PK had no coach, they would be the same team. The coaches make or no difference and results they have got wont buck the trend of mediocrity. But lets enjoy the moment.

 

[Mamoon]

It was Waqar Younis recommendation to drop Akmal and Shehzad from the team and PCB need to give extra attention to fitness.

Isn't Arthur and his team exactly doing at the moment?

Firstly, Arthur has worked with a world class SA team and Australia so he does not need Waqar's recommendations to know what is important and what is not. As a coach, Waqar is a nobody compared to Arthur. Secondly, Waqar's insistence on improving fitness standards was admirable, but there is more to cricket than just fitness.

He didn't seem to have a plan from a tactical and strategic point of view, and we kept playing Limited Overs cricket the same way and kept repeating the same mistakes in spite of losing game after game and series after series.

 

[Madplayer]

He has been wonderful. He looks to be involved with the team.

There is already a mickey arthur appreciation thread. Should merge with that.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Firstly, Arthur has worked with a world class SA team and Australia so he does not need Waqar's recommendations to know what is important and what is not. As a coach, Waqar is a nobody compared to Arthur. Secondly, Waqar's insistence on improving fitness standards was admirable, but there is more to cricket than just fitness.

He didn't seem to have a plan from a tactical and strategic point of view, and we kept playing Limited Overs cricket the same way and kept repeating the same mistakes in spite of losing game after game and series after series.

Waqar doesn't command respect and doesn't know how to as a coach.

Mickey is the real deal. He is ambitious and has application. Whoever hired him, give that man a raise and a pat on the back.

 

[Mamoon]

Waqar doesn't command respect and doesn't know how to as a coach.

Mickey is the real deal. He is ambitious and has application. Whoever hired him, give that man a raise and a pat on the back.

Won't be surprised if Najam Sethi played a role. He is the key to making our cricket modern and relevant, and he is our best hope of bringing international cricket back to Pakistan. Coaching in the PSL and experiencing the professionalism of the PSL management first-hand probably influenced Arthur to apply for the job.

 

[shokz1408]

Mickey Arthur deserves a lot of credit! I mean personally as a fan the defeat left me heartbroken, they showed no fight and any optimism I had was no longer there. Rameez also felt this way, we saw him on the pre-show to the SA match and he looked like he lost all hope too. If we as fans felt heartbroken, for the players themselves to feel that way and to come back and win 3 games on a trot, that takes a lot of heart. Credit goes to Mickey arthur and co for making the players believe in themselves again, and to the players who played their hearts out.

 

[Syed1]

Waqar doesn't command respect and doesn't know how to as a coach.

Mickey is the real deal. He is ambitious and has application. Whoever hired him, give that man a raise and a pat on the back.

Wasim and Ramiz Raja

 

[Rafay Shafiq]

Credit goes to all inzimam include few youngsters, Mickey and sarfraz make them play but wait till final to see how coaching staff deal with much stable and methodical side like India. It's real test

 

[RickyG]

I'm a big Mickey Arthur for a number of reasons.

1. The biggest reason is that he is a qualified career coach not some ex-player turned coach with good intentions but not vision.

2. The changes he wants to implement are for the long term. He wants to put the onus of keeping fit on the players themselves and they have to live like professional athletes. Tours are not the time to be focusing on fitness. Fitness is to be worked on during times you're off. Case in point is how he handled Umar Akmal. In the meantime, likes of Sarfraz and Azhar Ali have improved their fitness considerably.

3. He isn't a foreigner in it for a paycheck. Geoff Lawson, Dav Whatmore, Richard Pybus etc. He is genuinely trying to improve Pakistan cricket team.

4. Non-controversial unlike the previous coach who may not have realized that he is retired.

5. Has a vision which he has relayed to his players. Wants to change the way Pakistan play their cricket and wants to develop young players.

I really hope Pakistan give him an extended tenure of 8 years or so. I am certain that the team he leaves behind at that point will be very different from the one he inherited.

 

[Hasan123]

Brilliant appointment. A no nonsense approach towards fitness and fielding. He also understands the way the modern game should be played. He is trying to make changes slowly, PCB should give him there full support.

As well Arthur is a much better man manager than Waqar, Shehzad hasn't caused any controversies since he has returned to the team because he is being managed better. Arthur has also improved players such as Hasan,Sharjeel and Babar. Also he has made improvements with Fakhar andSami Aslam after a series or two working with them.

Give Arthur 2/3 pacers under 23 and 2/3 batsmen under 23 and watch how they will improve.

I'll take Mickey as coach till 2023 WC.

 

[Witcher]

I really hope Pakistan give him an extended tenure of 8 years or so. I am certain that the team he leaves behind at that point will be very different from the one he inherited.

Fully agreed. His intent is what matters. We shouldn't be too concerned about immediate results. We can see he is able to implement his vision, which Waqar couldn't, so I hope we have the patience to let him stay for few years.

 

[Cricketsamrat]

Reall?? Everybody in Pakistan were calling for his head when Pakistan lost against India in the league phase.

 

[Rafay Shafiq]

Reall?? Everybody in Pakistan were calling for his head when Pakistan lost against India in the league phase.

And wait till tomorrow...his head will be again in demand

 

[waleed88]

People were correct in their assessment that Waqar doesn't seem to have a plan. He kept harping about aggressive cricket but we did not see anything new on the pitch. As soon as Arthur arrived, he identified Azhar as a Test opener and saw in Babar a player who could bat at 3 in all formats. If Waqar was still here, Azhar would still be opening and Babar would probably have been playing at 5/6.

I should have realized that earlier consider how inept Waqar was as a captain. A great coach doesn't have to be a great - or even a player in the first place, but a captain who is out of his depth tactically is highly unlikely to come good as a coach.

Bhai jaan Azhar opened for Pakistan under Waqar in Test Matches (3rd test match against England) and ODis (since he became captain), so that is factually incorrect...

Babar played under Waqar as a one down batsmen vs NZ in 2016

 

[waleed88]

Waqar's omissions of the same names were greeted with bias and hatred towards certain cricketers, like Umar Akmal and Shehzad, and was meeted with gross media outrage..

Sarfraz was called a no.6 batsman by Waqar, and people shouted he's an opener..

Now Sarf plays as a no.6 batsman himself, is Waqar the coach now?

Granted Waqar was not the most astute captain, but bowling really did improve for us under him

 

[sadida97]

Bhai jaan Azhar opened for Pakistan under Waqar in Test Matches (3rd test match against England) and ODis (since he became captain), so that is factually incorrect...

Babar played under Waqar as a one down batsmen vs NZ in 2016

wrong, in NZ Babar played at 4 with hafeez at 3. Under Waqar, Azhar was never a permanent opener, he became one under Mickey.

 

[waleed88]

wrong, in NZ Babar played at 4 with hafeez at 3. Under Waqar, Azhar was never a permanent opener, he became one under Mickey.

Yes, so a no.4 is not no.5 and no.6

Its unfortunate Shehzad always made to the side due to political pressure, otherwise Babar would've played no.3... no.4 and no.3 don't have a big difference because the best batsmen come in early...

Shehzad made it back again like he did against despite being discarded by the management for the t20 world cup, but Babar was idenftified and groomed under waqar's coaching... he was moved up the order in ODIs but failed against England in 2015 odis

Shan Masood got a 170 in Waqar's era in the Palekele chase which is why he was given a test match berth, but its unfortunate the last 6-7 months Waqar didn't have a test match so Azhar didn't play more as an opener under him, but you can see why he tried Azhar as an opener, because Malik came in at no.3 and brought more balance to the side..

 

[sjahmed23]

If he can remove the senior culture or should I say, complexity, from Pak cricket it would do wonders for us in the long term. Too much respect given to guys like Hafeez, Malik, Shehzad who honestly don't deserve it, I can't remember last time these guys stepped up against a good side and won games for Pakistan.

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] be like:

Note [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION]

 

[waleed88]

Mickey is the coach under which Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal came back in the side after being discarded under Waqar's regime...we have to remember that as well

(waqar came after world cup t20 2014 where Kamran played)

 

[Sports_Psychologist]

I hope table won't turn after sunday

I want him to be remembered as a coach who got pak to finals after 8 years

In an Odi final after what 18 years?? I guess we are playing this Odi final after 1999 and that's a big big achievement for the coach and the captain.

 

[backfootpunch]

Won't be surprised if Najam Sethi played a role. He is the key to making our cricket modern and relevant, and he is our best hope of bringing international cricket back to Pakistan. Coaching in the PSL and experiencing the professionalism of the PSL management first-hand probably influenced Arthur to apply for the job.

Mamoon you're a respected poster with a great perspective of the game however I disagree on this for several reasons:

1) The way he's handled Sharjeel was nothing but unprofessional - a big mouth who went all joo joo to the media I've caught a fixer without any conclusive evidence. Sources suggest he wants to see Sharjeel banned to save his own blushes.

2) Signed a MoU thinking Pakistan v India series with the interpretation that Pak v India matches would resume as normal to find that India mugged him off...

3) Handling of PSL final - pitch was horrible - slow and sub standard T20 wicket, poor picture quality and Quetta were made to buy 4 inferior foreign players in what was a poor spectacle.

4) No he doesn't understand the modern game - the seniority culture that is around in Pak cricket with how they handled Misbah and YK as well as prescence of players past it are his fault as well

 

[Slog]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] be like:

Note [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION]

Isn't that Mickey Arthur when people talk about his test record?

 

[Slog]

Sarfaraz deserves a lot of credit for this turnaround

Wish he'd been appointed earlier

 

[90MPH]

He has improved Pak but he can only do so in limited ways.

The domestic infrastructure and the PCB still badly need reforming. Nothing much will change till the roots are tackled.

A coach no matter how good can only take a team so far.

 

[mak36]

Fully agreed. His intent is what matters. We shouldn't be too concerned about immediate results. We can see he is able to implement his vision, which Waqar couldn't, so I hope we have the patience to let him stay for few years.

Agree he should be given an extended run. We won't win everything, but already we have seen a genuine attempt at changing the team for the better. Slowly but surely we are seeing a change in the culture of the team. Sarfaraz deserves a lot of credit for his captaincy- he's clearly someone the players look up to as a leader.

 

[shaz619]

Isn't that Mickey Arthur when people talk about his test record?

Sour grapes from Sloggy

 

[mak36]

Mickey is the coach under which Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal came back in the side after being discarded under Waqar's regime...we have to remember that as well

(waqar came after world cup t20 2014 where Kamran played)

First off, Mickey isn't a selector- he works with the squad he is given.

Secondly, Kamran was selected on the basis of merit (never thought I would ever say that!) He was the top performer in the domestic tournament, playing in a role that was desperately required at the time (aggressive opener). In any case, he was dropped on the basis of fitness/fielding- again it is good to see Mickey being consistent with his standards and Inzi backing him with this.

Third, it was Mickey that put Umar Akmal on the first flight back when Akmal failed the fitness tests. Again, he is setting standards for players, regardless of who they are, and if they fail to meet them he is dropping them.

Why does everyone have to take such binary positions? Yes they have both made mistakes, but on balance Mickey/Inzi deserve praise for investing in standards, professionalism and giving chances to a lot of youngsters. Here's hoping it continues.

 

[mak36]

Sarfaraz deserves a lot of credit for this turnaround

Wish he'd been appointed earlier

Agreed. It's rather worrying they haven't announced him as the test captain yet...

 

[mak36]

Brilliant appointment. A no nonsense approach towards fitness and fielding. He also understands the way the modern game should be played. He is trying to make changes slowly, PCB should give him there full support.

Give Arthur 2/3 pacers under 23 and 2/3 batsmen under 23 and watch how they will improve.

I would add that we need to give Mickey at least 2 young all-rounders to develop. Need to start building a squad for the World Cup. Hopefully, preparations will start immediately after tomorrow's final, whatever the result. The PSL should help identify and develop talent (for batsmen especially).

 

[waleed88]

First off, Mickey isn't a selector- he works with the squad he is given.

Secondly, Kamran was selected on the basis of merit (never thought I would ever say that!) He was the top performer in the domestic tournament, playing in a role that was desperately required at the time (aggressive opener). In any case, he was dropped on the basis of fitness/fielding- again it is good to see Mickey being consistent with his standards and Inzi backing him with this.

Third, it was Mickey that put Umar Akmal on the first flight back when Akmal failed the fitness tests. Again, he is setting standards for players, regardless of who they are, and if they fail to meet them he is dropping them.

Why does everyone have to take such binary positions? Yes they have both made mistakes, but on balance Mickey/Inzi deserve praise for investing in standards, professionalism and giving chances to a lot of youngsters. Here's hoping it continues.

Ahmed Shehzad's return... Persisting with Riaz, mistreatment of Sohail Khan.. preferential treatment for Amir and Babar Azam are some of the other mistakes that come to my mind..

 

[mak36]

Ahmed Shehzad's return... Persisting with Riaz, mistreatment of Sohail Khan.. preferential treatment for Amir and Babar Azam are some of the other mistakes that come to my mind..

Yes, there have been some questionable selections (although again, Mickey is not a selector) but if you compare the squad of the Asia Cup with this tournament's squad, there is a huge difference. For every TTF that has been selected, so too have a lot of youngsters. PCT is in transition mode- it's difficult to get rid of all the seniors in one go- but slowly enough they are being removed. As I said, it's not a binary thing- on balance I think Mickey/Inzi are pushing PCT in the right direction.

Babar (22) and Amir (25) are both young and talented players. Yes, Amir has not got back to his best but he has been improving each game. As for Babar, do you think all the commentators/experts who have watched him play are wrong to rate him then?

How can you complain about Umar Akmal/Kamran Akmal being selected when you support Sohail Khan's inclusion? Regardless of his performances, he is clearly unfit and if media reports are to be believed was unwilling to put in the hard work. He is also 33, so well past his prime.

 

[Markhor]

I would go as far as to say that if PK had no coach, they would be the same team. The coaches make or no difference and results they have got wont buck the trend of mediocrity. But lets enjoy the moment.

This is an old cliche. If coaches genuinely didn't make any difference at international level, then not a single international team would spend money in hiring a head coach.

 

[Markhor]

Note [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION]

Yes well these last few months shows that its worth listening to your Uncle Markhor from time to time.

Glad to have backed Arthur even during the dark days.

 

[Savak]

This is an old cliche. If coaches genuinely didn't make any difference at international level, then not a single international team would spend money in hiring a head coach.

A coach is needed in some capacity or the other. The coach is responsible for fine tuning technical issues, mental issues and helping the captain and the players with planning and strategy. The captain needs support, can't do everything by himself.

 

[mak36]

And wait till tomorrow...his head will be again in demand

Whatever the result tomorrow, I sincerely hope this isn't the case. Progress takes time. Chopping and changing (players and coaches) does no-one any favours.

 

[Mainul]

Firstly, Arthur has worked with a world class SA team and Australia so he does not need Waqar's recommendations to know what is important and what is not. As a coach, Waqar is a nobody compared to Arthur. Secondly, Waqar's insistence on improving fitness standards was admirable, but there is more to cricket than just fitness.

He didn't seem to have a plan from a tactical and strategic point of view, and we kept playing Limited Overs cricket the same way and kept repeating the same mistakes in spite of losing game after game and series after series.

Tough times for Waqar fans. A qualified coach will always come through if he is given the right environment to succeed in.

Under the circumstances, Pakistan cannot get a better coach than Arthur. There are no comparisons between him and glorified fitness-trainer Waqar, who was one of the worst captains in history of Pakistan. PCB needs to keep hold of him for as long as he is willing to work with Pakistan cricket.

It's a delusion to praise Mickey and give him the credit and grave injustice to criticize Waqar for what is not responsible for .Just give the same ODI squad which played in rotation throughout Waqar's tenure as coach.Misbah(the captain and batsman),Shehzad and Hafeez the openers,Younis,Shafiq,U Akmal,Maqsood, Afridi,Anwar Ali,the middle and lower middle order,Wahab,Anwar,Vatti,Gul,Junaid,Irfan the bowling line up.Can any coach turn these lads into world class ODI team?

 

[waleed88]

Yes, there have been some questionable selections (although again, Mickey is not a selector) but if you compare the squad of the Asia Cup with this tournament's squad, there is a huge difference. For every TTF that has been selected, so too have a lot of youngsters. PCT is in transition mode- it's difficult to get rid of all the seniors in one go- but slowly enough they are being removed. As I said, it's not a binary thing- on balance I think Mickey/Inzi are pushing PCT in the right direction.

Babar (22) and Amir (25) are both young and talented players. Yes, Amir has not got back to his best but he has been improving each game. As for Babar, do you think all the commentators/experts who have watched him play are wrong to rate him then?

How can you complain about Umar Akmal/Kamran Akmal being selected when you support Sohail Khan's inclusion? Regardless of his performances, he is clearly unfit and if media reports are to be believed was unwilling to put in the hard work. He is also 33, so well past his prime.

Completely overrated, Babar has done nothing of note besides the 4 centuries against the WI, Bishop has critcized him correctly I still stand to Babar Azam finishing an innings, he hasn't done that in any of the big games sadly.

Sohail has been your best LOI specialist, considering he was in prime form in the PSL, unfortunately that performance still doesn't get any note and KA's does

 

[Hawkeye]

I wonder how those who jump to the conclusion that a coach can do nothing to improve the players (when the team is doing bad) suddenly switch gears.

And shift the argument to point to the fact that the coach is responsible for team's victories.

Have a single standard.

Though Mickey does say in pressers that they want to play the new brand of cricket. I would gladly praise him if he actually manages to do that considering he has selection powers too.

He's been impressive in the last 3 matches indeed. But our batting hasn't been tested and we're still carrying passengers who cannot win you high scoring matches.

He isn't doing bad so far and I'm optimistic if he can act on his words.

Waqar wasn't tactically good or took any initiative..

 

[ExpressPacer]

Mickey is here to stay.

 

[Bewal Express]

This is an old cliche. If coaches genuinely didn't make any difference at international level, then not a single international team would spend money in hiring a head coach.

As many first class players will tell you the coaches at that level don't "coach" as we lay person perceive it to be. PK cricket a Director of cricket to oversee everything from talent identification( the most important thing for any Sporting team) to get specialist coaching/ mentoring for players that need it. For me a general coach at higher level for cricket is a waste of money.

 

[Mamoon]

Bhai jaan Azhar opened for Pakistan under Waqar in Test Matches (3rd test match against England) and ODis (since he became captain), so that is factually incorrect...

Babar played under Waqar as a one down batsmen vs NZ in 2016

Apart from a couple of matches against India and Australia in 2012-2013, Azhar has generally opened in ODIs. He also opened against SL in 2012 under Whatmore. Secondly, Waqar opened with him in the third Test vs England out of necessity; he didn't play in the first two games due to injury.

He replaced Masood for the third Test and it was a straight swap. Even Waqar is not dumb enough to open in Tests with Malik, Younis, Misbah, Shafiq or Sarfraz instead of Azhar. Thirdly, Babar didn't play at 3 under him; he played at 4.

If Waqar would still have been the coach, Hafeez would have been opening in Tests with Azhar at number 3, and Hafeez would also have continued to bat at 3 with Babar below him. You need a professional coach with a keen eye to make the right calls when it comes to these fine margins.

 

[Mamoon]

It's a delusion to praise Mickey and give him the credit and grave injustice to criticize Waqar for what is not responsible for .Just give the same ODI squad which played in rotation throughout Waqar's tenure as coach.Misbah(the captain and batsman),Shehzad and Hafeez the openers,Younis,Shafiq,U Akmal,Maqsood, Afridi,Anwar Ali,the middle and lower middle order,Wahab,Anwar,Vatti,Gul,Junaid,Irfan the bowling line up.Can any coach turn these lads into world class ODI team?

The selectors always select teams after taking the views of the coach into consideration. Waqar was in charge for years but we did not see any improvement in Limited Overs cricket. We kept sliding down the rankings and lost series after series. It is not a coincidence that things have started to look good after the arrival of Arthur and he has made it to the final of an ICC tournament in his first attempt.

The only reason Waqar looked good in Tests is because he didn't have to play outside Asia much. Arthur oversaw tours of England, NZ and Australia in his first year. Waqar was quite lucky to resign just before all these tough tours.

 

[Blitz]

I think its a bit early for this high praise.

Lets not forget, he's been in the job for 2 years, and he's just got us out of 8th place in the rankings, while our test ranking has dropped.

He was tasked to building a team for the 2019 World Cup.


In my opinion, this means changing the style of play, and bringing in new talent. I don't believe our style of play has changed yet. We can't score 300 every game (or any game).

His ability to remove liabilities from the team (Azhar Ali, Hafeez, Shehzad, Riaz) permanently before the next world cup will showcase whether he really understands what needs to be done.

 

[Mamoon]

Mamoon you're a respected poster with a great perspective of the game however I disagree on this for several reasons:

1) The way he's handled Sharjeel was nothing but unprofessional - a big mouth who went all joo joo to the media I've caught a fixer without any conclusive evidence. Sources suggest he wants to see Sharjeel banned to save his own blushes.

2) Signed a MoU thinking Pakistan v India series with the interpretation that Pak v India matches would resume as normal to find that India mugged him off...

3) Handling of PSL final - pitch was horrible - slow and sub standard T20 wicket, poor picture quality and Quetta were made to buy 4 inferior foreign players in what was a poor spectacle.

4) No he doesn't understand the modern game - the seniority culture that is around in Pak cricket with how they handled Misbah and YK as well as prescence of players past it are his fault as well

Thank you for the compliment. Look, Sethi is not faultless, but he has done a lot of good for Pakistan cricket, and things started to happen as soon as he got involved in the PCB. The idea of PSL was proposed for years but there was no action. Sethi came and the PSL became a reality within a year. He also played a key role in bringing Zimbabwe to Pakistan in 2015, and he is key to bringing international cricket back to Pakistan.

He promised that the PSL final will be held in Lahore and he delivered on that promise. Yes from a cricketing point of view it was a poor spectacle, but Sethi as Chairman of the PSL, he is not responsible for the state of the Gaddafi Stadium, the quality of the pitch and the outfield etc. That was PCB's job and they did not make the required arrangements. The quality of the pitch and the stadium was much better for the Zimbabwe series.

I agree that the four poor overseas players lowered the quality of the final, but the blast in Lahore a week prior to the final meant that the PSL management were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either play the final in Dubai and disappoint the thousands of fans back home who were very excited to see the final hosted in Lahore, or lower the quality of the final by playing in Lahore but with inferior foreign players. In my view, the final was saved by the miracle that Peshawar Zalmi pulled off by convincing all of their foreign players to play.

With regards to the MoU, I agree that the PCB have made a complete mess of the situation. BCCI took them for a ride and both Shahryar and Sethi have made some foolish comments on this subject. Now as far as Sharjeel is concerned, I think it is best to not comment on that case until the facts are in front of us.

Yes there are plenty of conspiracy theories flying around, but I don't see why Sethi would frame him knowing that he was on the verge of becoming a big star for Pakistan and would have been one of the main players in the PSL. Maybe things should not have been made public in the first place, but at this point I am pretty convinced that Sharjeel is guilty.

All in all, if we weigh the pros and cons of Sethi and what he has done for Pakistan cricket, it won't be inappropriate to state that he has done a lot more good than bad. Unfortunately, a lot of people have an axe to grind against him because of political reasons and agendas.

 

[Savak]

Thank you for the compliment. Look, Sethi is not faultless, but he has done a lot of good for Pakistan cricket, and things started to happen as soon as he got involved in the PCB. The idea of PSL was proposed for years but there was no action. Sethi came and the PSL became a reality within a year. He also played a key role in bringing Zimbabwe to Pakistan in 2015, and he is key to bringing international cricket back to Pakistan.

He promised that the PSL final will be held in Lahore and he delivered on that promise. Yes from a cricketing point of view it was a poor spectacle, but Sethi as Chairman of the PSL, he is not responsible for the state of the Gaddafi Stadium, the quality of the pitch and the outfield etc. That was PCB's job and they did not make the required arrangements. The quality of the pitch and the stadium was much better for the Zimbabwe series.

I agree that the four poor overseas players lowered the quality of the final, but the blast in Lahore a week prior to the final meant that the PSL management were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either play the final in Dubai and disappoint the thousands of fans back home who were very excited to see the final hosted in Lahore, or lower the quality of the final by playing in Lahore but with inferior foreign players. In my view, the final was saved by the miracle that Peshawar Zalmi pulled off by convincing all of their foreign players to play.

With regards to the MoU, I agree that the PCB have made a complete mess of the situation. BCCI took them for a ride and both Shahryar and Sethi have made some foolish comments on this subject. Now as far as Sharjeel is concerned, I think it is best to not comment on that case until the facts are in front of us.

Yes there are plenty of conspiracy theories flying around, but I don't see why Sethi would frame him knowing that he was on the verge of becoming a big star for Pakistan and would have been one of the main players in the PSL. Maybe things should not have been made public in the first place, but at this point I am pretty convinced that Sharjeel is guilty.

All in all, if we weigh the pros and cons of Sethi and what he has done for Pakistan cricket, it won't be inappropriate to state that he has done a lot more good than bad. Unfortunately, a lot of people have an axe to grind against him because of political reasons and agendas.

Sethi compared to the likes of Zaka Ashraf, Ijaz Butt, Nasim Ashraf has done much much better. The circumstances he inherited from his predecessors was an absolute mess.

 

[Mainul]

The selectors always select teams after taking the views of the coach into consideration. Waqar was in charge for years but we did not see any improvement in Limited Overs cricket. We kept sliding down the rankings and lost series after series. It is not a coincidence that things have started to look good after the arrival of Arthur and he has made it to the final of an ICC tournament in his first attempt.

The only reason Waqar looked good in Tests is because he didn't have to play outside Asia much. Arthur oversaw tours of England, NZ and Australia in his first year. Waqar was quite lucky to resign just before all these tough tours.

Misbah had greatest share of say in team selection than the coach Waqar.Misbah was a powerful captain.Yes,under Waqar,Pakistan's performance was one of the worst in quiet a few years.But the main blame should go to the selectors for selecting such a rubbish team,not conducive to modern day ODIs.

Mickey are passing his early days as coach.His only success in ODIs has been in the ongoing CT.Pakistan got thrashed in ODIS in England and Australia.The main reason behind the success of Pakistan in CT is introducing new good players like Fakhar,Hasan Ali,Faheem,Sadab.If Mickey is the main person influencing the selection,he will get the credit.Otherwise,it's Inji's job that is well done.Still we can see Azhar in opening,Hafeez at no 3 which are two most weird and self destructive tactics.

 

[waleed88]

Apart from a couple of matches against India and Australia in 2012-2013, Azhar has generally opened in ODIs. He also opened against SL in 2012 under Whatmore. Secondly, Waqar opened with him in the third Test vs England out of necessity; he didn't play in the first two games due to injury.

He replaced Masood for the third Test and it was a straight swap. Even Waqar is not dumb enough to open in Tests with Malik, Younis, Misbah, Shafiq or Sarfraz instead of Azhar. Thirdly, Babar didn't play at 3 under him; he played at 4.

If Waqar would still have been the coach, Hafeez would have been opening in Tests with Azhar at number 3, and Hafeez would also have continued to bat at 3 with Babar below him. You need a professional coach with a keen eye to make the right calls when it comes to these fine margins.

I disagree, I don't think Hafeez was a favorite of Waqar, in a tweet Waqar did say Hafeez is an ODI batsman on the wrong side of 30... he was benched by in Mickey in test matches against the English, and was injured too for that series... Mickey kinda did it out of neccessity too after Masood and Hafeez both flopped in England

 

[aukhan]

Couldnt agree more. He is trying to change our fortunes. All credit to Mickey and Sarfraz to some extent.

Comparisons with waqar are a joke. Waqar is failure of a coach who is responsible for our demise in ODI's along with misbah.

 

[Adil_94]

the greater emphasis on strike rotation has definitely come from mickey.

 

[vandokkum]

This is spot on, Mickey Arthur needs to be given full control in terms of fitness and team selection, he will do wonders with Pakistan

 

[Justcrazy]

Mickey alone cannot do much. Selectors have to get in right players for right formats.

If pakistan pick right team , they can go deep into 2019 WC.

 

[Tommo]

A big thank you to Mickey Arthur! What a great coach, such a humble personality he is; long may he continue coaching Pakistan!
Ps. Special mention for all of the management team and various coaches. A job well done.