Pakistan's Test record under Mickey Arthur's reign is not looking good

[Slog]

For a side that had not lose a single series for 2 years before he came on he is going about it pretty poorly

In England it was basically the side Waqar had built and he played the same team combinations and strategy. Infact mickey Arthur himself acknowledged it so theres no room for debate even as to whether Arthur deserves much credit at all.

But since then he has been trying to shape the Test team in his own image in order to shed the 'Waqar's team' tag I presume

In the process he is decimating the team one by one. Shafiq bats a different position every match. Sometime we play an all rounder, sometimes we dont. Theres debate over whether Azhar will open or bat at 3. Sarfaraz doesnt have a fixed position. Its a right mess out there.

We lost to a weak West Indies in UAE of all places and they actually took both matches to last days. Previosuly we would have just decimated them.

A lot of attention is being put on the players which is fine but its also important to look at the top and see what has changed

One of the hallmarks, pride and strength of our Test team was that it was very stable and we had a solid idea of the lineup and structure, but now its all over the place and one man is responsible for that

 

[ExpressPacer]

Was going to criticize this thread but frankly speaking, you pose some extremely important points. I guess there was reason Mickey was sacked.

And to top it all off, he dropped our go to bowler, Yasir Shah. Not making sense.

 

[Junaids]

I love Waqar too, but this batting line-up consists of the oldest two batters in cricket, two mediocrities and two really good youngsters.

 

[Mamoon]

Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. This team is solid in Asian conditions, doesn't matter who the coach is.

The drawn series in England is again down to the nature of pitches. Playing in late summer during the dry season helped us greatly, otherwise we would have suffered the Sri Lanka fate had we played in May. Those who doubt it should look at Pakistan's capitulation in this series in bowling-friendly conditions.

We were always going to get exposed outside the UAE in tougher conditions, it was only a matter of time. Unbeaten from two years, but playing in helpful conditions did not expose our weaknesses.

Now before I'm reminded of how we went two years without winning a series under Whatmore and the myth that Waqar changed the fortunes of our Test team, let's consider the facts.

We toured SA in 2013 with Whatmore who were the best side in the world by some distance, and we also hosted them in the UAE. Drawing 1-1 with them (that too thanks to Faf's zipper) was a great result. That team was better than all the English and Australian teams that have toured us in the UAE.

Yes there were some bad results in Zimbabwe and a drawn series at home to Sri Lanka, but replacing Adnan and Ajmal with Sarfraz and Yasir made a massive difference.

Adnan was hopeless with the bat at that time and only extended our tail; Sarfraz although is in a rut at the moment, has been a quality Test batsman who has played a key role. Whatmore only had one series with Sarfraz in the UAE who played a key role in the famous Sharjah win.

Similarly, Ajmal in Test cricket was well past his prime in 2014. For 2-3 consecutive series, he was toothless and averaged in excess of 40 if I'm not wrong. His ban proved to be a blessing in disguise because Yasir has made a big difference to our results. We have hardly won a match where Yasir has been poor.

Arthur has done nothing wrong. He showed Hafeez the door which is what everyone wanted; he brought in young players like Babar and Sami to the fold and everyone wanted us to look long-term as well, given the fact that we have a very aging lineup.

He's also on the lookout for an all-rounder which we have lacked over the years. Yes losing a Test to West Indies was a low, but contrary to popular belief, we are not unflappable in the UAE.

South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have all won Tests in the UAE, while England were literally minutes away from doing so and only bad light saved us.

Now this tour of New Zealand, it's well beyond our abilities. Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. We are not good enough to score runs in difficult conditions and Yasir, our only reliable wicket-taking bowler, is not good enough overseas unless the conditions favor him. We saw that in England already. Some of our fans can't see it but Arthur does, and it was the right call.

I'm not a Waqar hater; I find the criticism he cops quite pathetic because fans of Shehzad, Umar and Afridi etc. have scapegoated him for their failures, but giving him too much credit for our success in Tests is equally ridiculous as well.

Our success in Test cricket is down to Misbah. He made the team solid and reliable because he's an excellent Test captain as long as he's in his comfort zone (slow pitch, preferably bat first) and he was not in his comfort zone in the first Test in New Zealand and that is not Arthur's fault.

Waqar was a tactical failure as captain and he was a tactical failure as coach, but his redeeming quality was that he introduced a culture of discipline and hard work and laid emphasis on fitness.

If Waqar was the Pep Guardiola some are making him to be and the mastermind of our success in Tests, why did he fail miserably in arresting our decline in Limited Overs?

The reason is simple: he had good Test players but poor Limited Overs players, and hence it's time to give this over the top praise of Waqar a rest and there is no need of making Arthur a scapegoat here.

 

[Slog]

The last time we toured New Zealand in 2010 (under Waqar and with a new unsettled team) we won the series btw

 

[cricket.mad]

Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. This team is solid in Asian conditions, doesn't matter who the coach is.

The drawn series in England is again down to the nature of pitches. Playing in late summer during the dry season helped us greatly, otherwise we would have suffered the Sri Lanka fate had we played in May. Those who doubt it should look at Pakistan's capitulation in this series in bowling-friendly conditions.

We were always going to get exposed outside the UAE in tougher conditions, it was only a matter of time. Unbeaten from two years, but playing in helpful conditions did not expose our weaknesses.

Now before I'm reminded of how we went two years without winning a series under Whatmore and the myth that Waqar changed the fortunes of our Test team, let's consider the facts.

We toured SA in 2013 with Whatmore who were the best side in the world by some distance, and we also hosted them in the UAE. Drawing 1-1 with them (that too thanks to Faf's zipper) was a great result. That team was better than all the English and Australian teams that have toured us in the UAE.

Yes there were some bad results in Zimbabwe and a drawn series at home to Sri Lanka, but replacing Adnan and Ajmal with Sarfraz and Yasir made a massive difference.

Adnan was hopeless with the bat at that time and only extended our tail; Sarfraz although is in a rut at the moment, has been a quality Test batsman who has played a key role. Whatmore only had one series with Sarfraz in the UAE who played a key role in the famous Sharjah win.

Similarly, Ajmal in Test cricket was well past his prime in 2014. For 2-3 consecutive series, he was toothless and averaged in excess of 40 if I'm not wrong. His ban proved to be a blessing in disguise because Yasir has made a big difference to our results. We have hardly won a match where Yasir has been poor.

Arthur has done nothing wrong. He showed Hafeez the door which is what everyone wanted; he brought in young players like Babar and Sami to the fold and everyone wanted us to look long-term as well, given the fact that we have a very aging lineup.

He's also on the lookout for an all-rounder which we have lacked over the years. Yes losing a Test to West Indies was a low, but contrary to popular belief, we are not unflappable in the UAE.

South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have all won Tests in the UAE, while England were literally minutes away from doing so and only bad light saved us.

Now this tour of New Zealand, it's well beyond our abilities. Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. We are not good enough to score runs in difficult conditions and Yasir, our only reliable wicket-taking bowler, is not good enough overseas unless the conditions favor him. We saw that in England already. Some of our fans can't see it but Arthur does, and it was the right call.

I'm not a Waqar hater; I find the criticism he cops quite pathetic because fans of Shehzad, Umar and Afridi etc. have scapegoated him for their failures, but giving him too much credit for our success in Tests is equally ridiculous as well.

Our success in Test cricket is down to Misbah. He made the team solid and reliable because he's an excellent Test captain as long as he's in his comfort zone (slow pitch, preferably bat first) and he was not in his comfort zone in the first Test in New Zealand and that is not Arthur's fault.

Waqar was a tactical failure as captain and he was a tactical failure as coach, but his redeeming quality was that he introduced a culture of discipline and hard work and laid emphasis on fitness.

If Waqar was the Pep Guardiola some are making him to be and the mastermind of our success in Tests, why did he fail miserably in arresting our decline in Limited Overs?

The reason is simple: he had good Test players but poor Limited Overs players, and hence it's time to give this over the top praise of Waqar a rest and there is no need of making Arthur a scapegoat here.

Very Very rational post..

 

[street cricketer]

The mickey smiley at the end is funny..

 

[Barragan]

Yeah, let's forget about the humiliating Test loss to Zim and 3-0 drubbing against SA.

Pak loss to WI wasn't nice to see, but the pitches were very different this time and didn't offer much spin, plus the Sharjah pitch had a bit of bounce for the pace men and unfortunately, that was not good for our batsmen or bowling strategy (spin them out).

If anything, I think Arthur is taking us in the right direction and he will need time to identify and get rid of the dead wood, in addition spot the right talent in Pak.

 

[Slog]

Yeah, let's forget about the humiliating Test loss to Zim and 3-0 drubbing against SA.

That was before our upturn in test form. It was under Whatmore under who we didnt win a single series even in UAE

 

[Abdullah]

I dont agree with OP.

Shafiq at some point needed to move higher in the order. This is still the case, but he does not have the swag, gravitas or balls to bat at 3!! Not Mickeys fault, but he can not bat at number 6 all his life, and spots 4 and 5 are taken.

In the UAE against Windies, we could afford to go a batsman light and pick an allrounder. In overseas conditions (even though it cost us the series against england) we just can not do that. Again not Mickeys fault we have to switch back outside UAE.

The drop catch issue of Amir is costing us games and has gone beyond a joke. Again not Mickeys fault.

Get a team for all conditions will take time when your tail can not bat, and you do not take your catches.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Inzamam picked Rizwan. Should have gone with Imad.

 

[Sherlock]

You really couldn't make it up...England's tour = Waqar's team - NZ tour = Arthur's team.

 

[Slog]

You really couldn't make it up...England's tour = Waqar's team - NZ tour = Arthur's team.

Theres nothing to make up

You just have to look at the team and the combination

Or do you live in a fact free bubble?

 

[JaDed]

Not yet,lets wait for Aus tour also 2010 Nz team wasn't that great.

 

[kingusama92]

Best XI vs. England: Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Ifthikhar Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah

Best XI vs. NZ: Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah

There's literally been one change and it's Arthur's fault? I don't think Ifthikar is that good.

The team is rubbish in seaming conditions. England gave us flatter tracks and we did well.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Would have been the same for Waqar if he played more on foreign soil. He was lucky to be mostly playing in the UAE from 2014 on.

 

[Slog]

Best XI vs. England: Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Ifthikhar Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah

Best XI vs. NZ: Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah

There's literally been one change and it's Arthur's fault? I don't think Ifthikar is that good.

The team is rubbish in seaming conditions. England gave us flatter tracks and we did well.

Nce to totally ignore:

1) Multiple batting line up changes
2) Picking an all rounder one match and then no all rounder next match
3) Shuffling Sarfaraz around
4) Going in with 4 seamers this match

 

[Slog]

Would have been the same for Waqar if he played more on foreign soil. He was lucky to be mostly playing in the UAE from 2014 on.

Pak won on their tour to NZ under him eventhough it was our first away series off the back of the spotfixing scandal

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Pak won on their tour to NZ under him eventhough it was our first away series off the back of the spotfixing scandal

What were the conditions like? who were the NZ bowlers?

You cannot teach bats who have been used to UAE tracks to bat on seaming tracks. Hell Pak did not even get practice games. We were lucky to get phattas in the UK otherwise things would have been even worse in general.

 

[Sherlock]

Theres nothing to make up

You just have to look at the team and the combination

Or do you live in a fact free bubble?

Talk about living in a fact free bubble...

It was only a matter of time before you of all people opened a thread about Micky Arthur and his "failings". I guess Waqar could do no wrong with you, but hey...

It's supporters like you that are stuck in the mindset of poor coaching to see through the progress being made and also seeing Misbah and YK being on their last legs too.

What's so surprising about Shah being dropped? Many on here called it before the 2nd Test. The same can be said of Babar playing. Rizwan is the only change he has to answer for, but so does Inzi. But yeah let's just ignore everything that went wrong under your idol Waqar and praise only the positive aspects.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

The debate going on here doesn't really interest me that much, since nobody knows what dressing room tactics Waqar used or what Arthur is using right now (it's all hypothetical crap from keyboard warriors) however the below three lines in your rant caught my attention.

We are not good enough to score runs in difficult conditions and Yasir, our only reliable wicket-taking bowler, is not good enough overseas unless the conditions favor him. We saw that in England already. Some of our fans can't see it but Arthur does, and it was the right call.

Now let's for a second assume you are right and that we are:

1) Not good enough for overseas tests
2) Only a Goodish Team in UAE and Subcontinent
3) Were Lucky in England
4) Have fast Bowlers worse than India, Aus, SA, Eng, SL, NZ, Zim, Ban and WI
5) Have crap Batsmen
6) Whatever other reasons you might believe.....

So my question is what is the solution to this ???? Because we did climb to the #2 ranking and even if it was a 'lucky climb' what can we do........or no let's put it this way......... what would you want Pakistan to do to make things better ?

Like should we:

1) Give up our test status ?
2) Stop Supporting Pakistan and become pessimists ??
3) Cheer for the opposition ?
4) Close down Pakpassion or name it Bharat something ..... ????
5) Burn down the PCB building ??
6) Stop Playing Cricket altogether ??
7) Glorify In...... I mean other teams ??

What is the solution ???? What do you reckon we do ??

 

[Slog]

What were the conditions like? who were the NZ bowlers?

You cannot teach bats who have been used to UAE tracks to bat on seaming tracks. Hell Pak did not even get practice games. We were lucky to get phattas in the UK otherwise things would have been even worse in general.

Pak had a much weaker team then

 

[Slog]

It was only a matter of time before you of all people opened a thread about Micky Arthur and his "failings". I guess Waqar could do no wrong with you, but hey...
.

More evidence of you living in a fact free bubble...

i gave enough criticism about waqar in odis. if i wanted to really stick it into mickey arthur i would have done it in england odi series when we were breaking all sorts of wrong records

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Looks like a massive slide down in test ranking for Pakistan is waiting for them like ODIS. Pakistan has been playing with a looser mentality and with the skill of a minnow test team.

That's why Mickey is ideal. Instead of chopping and changing in the PCB he will work on the real issues.

 

[Mamoon]

The debate going on here doesn't really interest me that much, since nobody knows what dressing room tactics Waqar used or what Arthur is using right now (it's all hypothetical crap from keyboard warriors) however the below three lines in your rant caught my attention.



Now let's for a second assume you are right and that we are:

1) Not good enough for overseas tests
2) Only a Goodish Team in UAE and Subcontinent
3) Were Lucky in England
4) Have fast Bowlers worse than India, Aus, SA, Eng, SL, NZ, Zim, Ban and WI
5) Have crap Batsmen
6) Whatever other reasons you might believe.....

So my question is what is the solution to this ???? Because we did climb to the #2 ranking and even if it was a 'lucky climb' what can we do........or no let's put it this way......... what would you want Pakistan to do to make things better ?

Like should we:

1) Give up our test status ?
2) Stop Supporting Pakistan and become pessimists ??
3) Cheer for the opposition ?
4) Close down Pakpassion or name it Bharat something ..... ????
5) Burn down the PCB building ??
6) Stop Playing Cricket altogether ??
7) Glorify In...... I mean other teams ??

What is the solution ???? What do you reckon we do ??

What are you babbling about. What is the point of your misdirected rant.

I was explaining why it is wrong to hold this disastrous NZ tour against Mickey since we are rubbish in these conditions. Same thing would have happened with Waqar.

Similarly, the England series had nothing to do with Waqar's team or Arthur's team, but the fact that we got favorable pitches and as we have seen over the last 2 years, this team is really good in favorable conditions.

Finally, dropping Yasir was the right call. He doesn't offer anything on green pitches and had he played, same people would now be criticizing Arthur for lacking a spine and not having tactical nous.

 

[Mamoon]

Amidst all conjecture, what I do know is that if Waqar would still have been the coach, an unfit Hafeez would have played the Oval Test, the WI series and would have been on board to New Zealand and Australia as well.

 

[Mamoon]

Pak won on their tour to NZ under him eventhough it was our first away series off the back of the spotfixing scandal

Yes because everything else is equal. The pitches, quality of opposition etc.

 

[Nothing matters]

The last time we toured New Zealand in 2010 (under Waqar and with a new unsettled team) we won the series btw

Last time we didn't get green mambas.

 

[Mamoon]

Pak had a much weaker team then

So what would have been the result of this current NZ series if Waqar 'pep guardiola' Younis would have been the coach.

 

[Junaids]

The last time we toured New Zealand in 2010 (under Waqar and with a new unsettled team) we won the series btw

Because NZ had no bowlers.

In cricketing terms, Arthur inherited a lot of dead wood - Hafeez, Younis, Misbah and Zulfiqar should have been pensioned off years ago.

He also isn't allowed to have the best opener (Butt), the best middle-order batsman (U Akmal) and the best right-arm paceman.

 

[Markhor]

Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. This team is solid in Asian conditions, doesn't matter who the coach is.

The drawn series in England is again down to the nature of pitches. Playing in late summer during the dry season helped us greatly, otherwise we would have suffered the Sri Lanka fate had we played in May. Those who doubt it should look at Pakistan's capitulation in this series in bowling-friendly conditions.

We were always going to get exposed outside the UAE in tougher conditions, it was only a matter of time. Unbeaten from two years, but playing in helpful conditions did not expose our weaknesses.

Now before I'm reminded of how we went two years without winning a series under Whatmore and the myth that Waqar changed the fortunes of our Test team, let's consider the facts.

We toured SA in 2013 with Whatmore who were the best side in the world by some distance, and we also hosted them in the UAE. Drawing 1-1 with them (that too thanks to Faf's zipper) was a great result. That team was better than all the English and Australian teams that have toured us in the UAE.

Yes there were some bad results in Zimbabwe and a drawn series at home to Sri Lanka, but replacing Adnan and Ajmal with Sarfraz and Yasir made a massive difference.

Adnan was hopeless with the bat at that time and only extended our tail; Sarfraz although is in a rut at the moment, has been a quality Test batsman who has played a key role. Whatmore only had one series with Sarfraz in the UAE who played a key role in the famous Sharjah win.

Similarly, Ajmal in Test cricket was well past his prime in 2014. For 2-3 consecutive series, he was toothless and averaged in excess of 40 if I'm not wrong. His ban proved to be a blessing in disguise because Yasir has made a big difference to our results. We have hardly won a match where Yasir has been poor.

Arthur has done nothing wrong. He showed Hafeez the door which is what everyone wanted; he brought in young players like Babar and Sami to the fold and everyone wanted us to look long-term as well, given the fact that we have a very aging lineup.

He's also on the lookout for an all-rounder which we have lacked over the years. Yes losing a Test to West Indies was a low, but contrary to popular belief, we are not unflappable in the UAE.

South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have all won Tests in the UAE, while England were literally minutes away from doing so and only bad light saved us.

Now this tour of New Zealand, it's well beyond our abilities. Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. We are not good enough to score runs in difficult conditions and Yasir, our only reliable wicket-taking bowler, is not good enough overseas unless the conditions favor him. We saw that in England already. Some of our fans can't see it but Arthur does, and it was the right call.

I'm not a Waqar hater; I find the criticism he cops quite pathetic because fans of Shehzad, Umar and Afridi etc. have scapegoated him for their failures, but giving him too much credit for our success in Tests is equally ridiculous as well.

Our success in Test cricket is down to Misbah. He made the team solid and reliable because he's an excellent Test captain as long as he's in his comfort zone (slow pitch, preferably bat first) and he was not in his comfort zone in the first Test in New Zealand and that is not Arthur's fault.

Waqar was a tactical failure as captain and he was a tactical failure as coach, but his redeeming quality was that he introduced a culture of discipline and hard work and laid emphasis on fitness.

If Waqar was the Pep Guardiola some are making him to be and the mastermind of our success in Tests, why did he fail miserably in arresting our decline in Limited Overs?

The reason is simple: he had good Test players but poor Limited Overs players, and hence it's time to give this over the top praise of Waqar a rest and there is no need of making Arthur a scapegoat here.

Nail hit on the head. Superb post.

Test team has been Misbah's baby for the most part. Waqar is in the commentary box where he belongs.

 

[Slog]

Because NZ had no bowlers.

In cricketing terms, Arthur inherited a lot of dead wood - Hafeez, Younis, Misbah and Zulfiqar should have been pensioned off years ago.

He also isn't allowed to have the best opener (Butt), the best middle-order batsman (U Akmal) and the best right-arm paceman.

yes the best opener Butt who cant make runs in domestic cricket LOL

And best middle order bat Umar who has 2-3 centuries in 5 years in ANY form of cricket

 

[Slog]

So what would have been the result of this current NZ series if Waqar 'pep guardiola' Younis would have been the coach.

we certainly wouldnt have folded this easily and the management wouldnt have made wholesale changes every other match and appeared as headless chickens in the test format.

 

[Slog]

Nail hit on the head. Superb post.

Test team has been Misbah's baby for the most part. Waqar is in the commentary box where he belongs.

And its just coincidence that almost all the major wins are under Waqar or immediately following his reign and as soon as his reign moves into the rear mirror the results go down the drain?

Ofcourse Misbah has a huge role to play as captain but lets not forget that the success we got under Misbah even in UAE was down to the team combination and players template laid down by Waqar before Misbah was offically appointed as full time captain even

 

[Mamoon]

Nail hit on the head. Superb post.

Test team has been Misbah's baby for the most part. Waqar is in the commentary box where he belongs.

Thanks. It is quite baffling how some people are ready to ignore all facts when praising Waqar's role in the success of our Test team.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

What are you babbling about. What is the point of your misdirected rant.

I was explaining why it is wrong to hold this disastrous NZ tour against Mickey since we are rubbish in these conditions. Same thing would have happened with Waqar.

Similarly, the England series had nothing to do with Waqar's team or Arthur's team, but the fact that we got favorable pitches and as we have seen over the last 2 years, this team is really good in favorable conditions.

Finally, dropping Yasir was the right call. He doesn't offer anything on green pitches and had he played, same people would now be criticizing Arthur for lacking a spine and not having tactical nous.

Misdirected rant ?? Lol you're the one who wrote this amidst YOUR RANT

We are not good enough to score runs in difficult conditions and Yasir, our only reliable wicket-taking bowler, is not good enough overseas unless the conditions favor him. We saw that in England already

Simply put, if we're not good enough to score in difficult position, what's the solution to this specific problem. The point of having a discussion is to come to a conclusive solution right ??? So where do we begin to rectify this issue ??

 

[Mamoon]

we certainly wouldnt have folded this easily and the management wouldnt have made wholesale changes every other match and appeared as headless chickens in the test format.

Yes, because Azhar and Shafiq forgot how to bat on a green pitch because their batting positions were changed. Younis would also have done something he has never done in his life, i.e. score on a green pitch.

A line up of :

Hafeez
Masood/Sami
Azhar
Younis
Misbah
Shafiq
Sarfraz

Would scored 300+ on a green pitch if Waqar was the coach and not Arthur.

 

[JibranAnsari]

The last time we toured New Zealand in 2010 (under Waqar and with a new unsettled team) we won the series btw

Last time around nz wasnt that good at home. They are a pretty solid team at home now

 

[Slog]

Last time around nz wasnt that good at home. They are a pretty solid team at home now

on the contrary they are actually a pretty poor team right now..

 

[Barragan]

They would have won anyway

South Africa was a good side

We even failed to beat a poor SL side in UAE

Again, there is no answer for the need of ball tampering.

Why was it done?

If you're beating someone, then you don't need to tamper, right?

 

[Mamoon]

Misdirected rant ?? Lol you're the one who wrote this amidst YOUR RANT



Simply put, if we're not good enough to score in difficult position, what's the solution to this specific problem. The point of having a discussion is to come to a conclusive solution right ??? So where do we begin to rectify this issue ??

Like I said, you are simply babbling without understanding the context.

This thread is not about a conclusive solution to our woes on green pitches. That is for another day, another time and most importantly, another thread.

This thread is about the so-called negative impact Arthur has had one our Test team and how he has undone Waqar's good work. My response was in context to those assesments.

As far as the solution to our problem is concerned, unfortunately there isn't one in sight. We have always struggled on seaming wickets. Even Inzamam was useless in places like South Africa against Pollock and co.

 

[Mamoon]

And its just coincidence that almost all the major wins are under Waqar or immediately following his reign and as soon as his reign moves into the rear mirror the results go down the drain?

Ofcourse Misbah has a huge role to play as captain but lets not forget that the success we got under Misbah even in UAE was down to the team combination and players template laid down by Waqar before Misbah was offically appointed as full time captain even

The inclusion of Sarfraz and Yasir is not a coincidence. If we look at the impact they have had in our Test wins in the UAE over the last 2 years, they have been pivotal to our success.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Arthur has done a much better job than Waqar.

1. Got rid of Hafeez
2. Looking for an all rounder
3. Was brave enough to drop Yasir

If Pakistani batsman cannot play on green pitches then it is not Arthur's fault.

Under Waqar, Pakistan mostly played and won in Asia. Batting getting exposed was always going to happen outside Asia and no coach has any role in it.

 

[Sherlock]

More evidence of you living in a fact free bubble...

i gave enough criticism about waqar in odis. if i wanted to really stick it into mickey arthur i would have done it in england odi series when we were breaking all sorts of wrong records

Once again the irony is delicious. I guess you forgot how many matches, let alone series Pakistan won away from home in Waqar's capacity...NZ/SA/Aus/Eng.

But let's just gloss over the "facts" and bash someone because it's easy on the ego and bias. I bet if Pakistan somehow won this series you'd still be banging on about how "this is Waqar's side..."

Laughable isn't even the word anymore

 

[MenInG]

Keep this cheating business off this thread.

 

[Hasan123]

It's not Arthur's fault Pakistan can't bat on a green mamba. I am a Waqar fan but Babar Azam wouldn't be batting at 3 if Waqar was coach.

 

[Ami]

Not good enough yet on seaming wkts...dont have the batters with the 'know how'.

Bowling without Yasir is average not world class...so quite a way to go yet.

Remember...its not Wasim and Waqar plus the rest but Ajmal and now Yasir and the rest...so the emphasis has changed.

Our fielding is one of world's poorest...a common and an accepted trend with Pak cricket.

Best thing about Pak Cricket after Misbah and Younas are gone would be Mickey Arthur for how ever long he lasts...

 

[Pantani]

Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. This team is solid in Asian conditions, doesn't matter who the coach is.

The drawn series in England is again down to the nature of pitches. Playing in late summer during the dry season helped us greatly, otherwise we would have suffered the Sri Lanka fate had we played in May. Those who doubt it should look at Pakistan's capitulation in this series in bowling-friendly conditions.

We were always going to get exposed outside the UAE in tougher conditions, it was only a matter of time. Unbeaten from two years, but playing in helpful conditions did not expose our weaknesses.

Now before I'm reminded of how we went two years without winning a series under Whatmore and the myth that Waqar changed the fortunes of our Test team, let's consider the facts.

We toured SA in 2013 with Whatmore who were the best side in the world by some distance, and we also hosted them in the UAE. Drawing 1-1 with them (that too thanks to Faf's zipper) was a great result. That team was better than all the English and Australian teams that have toured us in the UAE.

Yes there were some bad results in Zimbabwe and a drawn series at home to Sri Lanka, but replacing Adnan and Ajmal with Sarfraz and Yasir made a massive difference.

Adnan was hopeless with the bat at that time and only extended our tail; Sarfraz although is in a rut at the moment, has been a quality Test batsman who has played a key role. Whatmore only had one series with Sarfraz in the UAE who played a key role in the famous Sharjah win.

Similarly, Ajmal in Test cricket was well past his prime in 2014. For 2-3 consecutive series, he was toothless and averaged in excess of 40 if I'm not wrong. His ban proved to be a blessing in disguise because Yasir has made a big difference to our results. We have hardly won a match where Yasir has been poor.

Arthur has done nothing wrong. He showed Hafeez the door which is what everyone wanted; he brought in young players like Babar and Sami to the fold and everyone wanted us to look long-term as well, given the fact that we have a very aging lineup.

He's also on the lookout for an all-rounder which we have lacked over the years. Yes losing a Test to West Indies was a low, but contrary to popular belief, we are not unflappable in the UAE.

South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have all won Tests in the UAE, while England were literally minutes away from doing so and only bad light saved us.

Now this tour of New Zealand, it's well beyond our abilities. Has nothing to do with Waqar or Arthur. We are not good enough to score runs in difficult conditions and Yasir, our only reliable wicket-taking bowler, is not good enough overseas unless the conditions favor him. We saw that in England already. Some of our fans can't see it but Arthur does, and it was the right call.

I'm not a Waqar hater; I find the criticism he cops quite pathetic because fans of Shehzad, Umar and Afridi etc. have scapegoated him for their failures, but giving him too much credit for our success in Tests is equally ridiculous as well.

Our success in Test cricket is down to Misbah. He made the team solid and reliable because he's an excellent Test captain as long as he's in his comfort zone (slow pitch, preferably bat first) and he was not in his comfort zone in the first Test in New Zealand and that is not Arthur's fault.

Waqar was a tactical failure as captain and he was a tactical failure as coach, but his redeeming quality was that he introduced a culture of discipline and hard work and laid emphasis on fitness.

If Waqar was the Pep Guardiola some are making him to be and the mastermind of our success in Tests, why did he fail miserably in arresting our decline in Limited Overs?

The reason is simple: he had good Test players but poor Limited Overs players, and hence it's time to give this over the top praise of Waqar a rest and there is no need of making Arthur a scapegoat here.

Excellent post, I agree with everything said.

Regarding the England tour, some argued that dry pitches were prepared in order to negate Pakistan's pace attack. What do you make of this claim?

 

[Sadevdesai]

Coaches and Captains get too much credit for a win and too much blame for a loss ..... should be neither!!!

 

[Pantani]

Also somebody said the last Sri Lankan side that toured UAE was a poor side, which is not at all true. We had Sanga and Mahela along with an in-form Mathews, giving Sri Lanka an exceptionally strong middle order. Herath was a couple of years younger, too. It was about as strong a team as Sri Lanka have had in the post-Murali years. Basically the same team went on to beat England in England.

 

[Slog]

Also somebody said the last Sri Lankan side that toured UAE was a poor side, which is not at all true. We had Sanga and Mahela along with an in-form Mathews, giving Sri Lanka an exceptionally strong middle order. Herath was a couple of years younger, too. It was about as strong a team as Sri Lanka have had in the post-Murali years. Basically the same team went on to beat England in England.

Pak had beaten the same SL side in a series a year earlier.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Best XI vs. England: Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Ifthikhar Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah

Best XI vs. NZ: Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah

There's literally been one change and it's Arthur's fault? I don't think Ifthikar is that good.

The team is rubbish in seaming conditions. England gave us flatter tracks and we did well.

ENG gave us flatter tracks because they feared that Amir would do 2010 all over again.

TBH I'm really disappointed by the performances of Asad and Sami on these seaming tracks. The only guys who looked like getting a score on this pitch were Babar and Misbah. Younis' shots have been criminal to say the least.

 

[Pantani]

Pak had beaten the same SL side in a series a year earlier.

Fair enough, but poor is an overstatement! You want poor, the current Sri Lanka side is poor... It's Chandimal and Herath and nine guys who are highly inconsistent. Mathews has been out of form for a long time, Kusal Mendis is a massive talent but young and inexperienced, Dhananjaya de Silva is similarly talented but inexperienced, and the fast bowlers keep getting injured.

I know we've won five in a row but Australia in Asia are effectively minnows and Zimbabwe are genuine minnows. The scenes of doom witnessed in England this year will likely be repeated on all away tours.

We are going off topic now anyway... Back to Pakistan, I don't think you can compare losing a test to SL to losing one to WI. SL may or may not be poor, but they're certainly better than West Indies

 

[Slog]

Fair enough, but poor is an overstatement! You want poor, the current Sri Lanka side is poor... It's Chandimal and Herath and nine guys who are highly inconsistent. Mathews has been out of form for a long time, Kusal Mendis is a massive talent but young and inexperienced, Dhananjaya de Silva is similarly talented but inexperienced, and the fast bowlers keep getting injured.

I know we've won five in a row but Australia in Asia are effectively minnows and Zimbabwe are genuine minnows. The scenes of doom witnessed in England this year will likely be repeated on all away tours.

We are going off topic now anyway... Back to Pakistan, I don't think you can compare losing a test to SL to losing one to WI. SL may or may not be poor, but they're certainly better than West Indies

yes ofcourse.

i was talking relatively keeping in mind that we had beaten that side a year earlier

 

[Mamoon]

Excellent post, I agree with everything said.

Regarding the England tour, some argued that dry pitches were prepared in order to negate Pakistan's pace attack. What do you make of this claim?

Could be, but England produces a lot of dry wickets anyway, especially in late summer. They also produced two dry pitches in the Ashes and Australia won both matches comprehensively.

 

[Abdul]

Slog, I usually agree with your views, but how is it Mickey Arthur's fault we are failing in New Zealand? The same team combination would have done well in UAE but we are not used to playing on grassy pitches and hence that is the reason why we haven't done well on this tour.

I was also a big fan of Waqar Younis (coach), but I agree with some of the posters here that he persisted with the likes of Mohammad Hafeez etc. too much. It's quite refreshing to see a new approach being brought in by Mickey Arthur where he is trying to bring in young players into the side. Are we expecting the new players to start performing right from day one? Younis and Misbah aren't going to be there forever, so this was a good time to transition them into the side.

Also, what's the guarantee that Yasir Shah would have done well on this pitch? Spinners would've been quite useless here and it was a good move to go in with four fast bowlers as the conditions would've been helpful for them.

I think Rahat Ali should have been in the side instead of Imran Khan, but that's the only disagreement I have.

 

[MMHS]

Some very good points made by most posters & [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] as well.

On top of that, I'll add one critical factor - that is the phasing of the team. This is quite a good Test team, but in the wrong end of their career, therefore by everyday/series most of them are gradually decaying from their best. Test matches are least tactical if bowlers do their job & I always praise Waquar for his bowling strategy/tips. But, what PCB (& Misbah has to take lots of blame here) didn't do was phasing out seniors in that very good & settled unit in their comfort zone. Skills & acclimatization is a factor indeed for performing in alien condition, but that generation gap is the biggest factor to me (ask that wonderful IND generation regarding their last ENG/AUS Tour . PAK already was officially oldest team by some margin - if I make it unofficial, it's cricket before WW2 staff.

Just for a random check - those 14 players playing in NZ - this is their official rounded age

Sami 21, Azhar 32, Babar 22, YK 39, Misbah 43, Asad 31, Rizwan 25, Sarfy 30, Sohail 33, Amir 25, Rahat 28, Imran 30, Yasir 31, Wahab 32 = that's an average of over 30, with mood around 31 & out-layers being 39, 43. If I put the qualifier of Khan's scouting; that average will reach 35, & mood might be even 38 & out-layer at 45; which is a horrible, horrible scenario.

Here PCB is caught off guard a bit - apart from Misbah, previous Chief Selectors have carried a team like there is no tomorrow - now at the wrong time PAK is facing back to back to back tough, foreign tours. That generation gap has created a hollow - there is a bunch of seniors : YK, Misbah, Azhar, Asad, Sarfy, (MoHa) - who has the experience to cope with the challenge, but just don't have the steam left to apply that in to action (or adjust their game - at 36 Azhar can't change his mood operandi or at 35 Sarfy can't learn to score beyond sweep). The other bunch is Babar, Rizwan, Sami, Masood (gradually he is proving that all those insult was a bit OTT), Ahmed, Haris, Umar ... they had the age & skill to cope-up with time, but they just don't have enough experience to survive the critical moments. Take this Series - Babar looked most fluent in 3 innings so far - twice has got out to balls he should have avoided (& could have done easily with few more Tests under his belt) & the shot Rizwan played was beyond explanation.

Coming on to bowling, I simply can't imagine that apart from Amir, PAK's youngest pacer in last 2 years is probably 32 at actual now (Rahat). It's a self created myopia, because half of that squad should have been phased out already, but wasn't as PCB (& Misbah) didn't look beyond next series. Many of those players should have played much earlier - for example, Sohail is 33 now as per books - between 2010 to 2015, this guy was sidelined by Uncle Tanvir, Cheema, Rauf, Sami ...... The ugliest that we have seen is probably Babar (Zulfi) - there is absolutely now excuse for carrying a near 45 years young man to UK, when 3/4 very good & quality young prospects are around.

Nepotism & vested interest has brought PCB to compromised stands - established seniors like Afridi, YK, MoHa, Misbah, Azmal & their lobby has got the better off PCB at the expense of a generation. Today, PCB is changing a major corporate policy, something they introduced to satisfy YK couple of years back - just one example. For the senior players side, I can say that, they also have enough "tools" in terms or media & "records" between 2000 to 2010 period, which can make life of many PCB senior officials uncomfortable - therefore it was a win-win for both party. The loss is a generation of may be Umar, Amin, Usman, Haris, Hammad, Gohar, Shahzaib, Hamza, Pasha, Fawad ..... who knows, may be many more.

It has to be ACB like clean-out of mid 80s (something which should have been done just after WC 2015) & sacrifice couple of years - may be PAK'll play WC 2019 qualifiers, may be go down to 6th in Test ranking, but this policy of requesting Misbah for one more series, or expecting YK to turn it in one last time, investment on MoHa, Ajmal ...... isn't going t work.

I have written many, many "long" posts here - probably some of those now makes a bit sense, that why I thought the best way was to appoint Amir as Captain & Babar deputy & then gradually phase out an aging generation, where, may be only Azhar, Asad & Yasir of current senior lot has a future beyond 2017. This vicious cycle has to be cracked at one point - otherwise every 2 years there is an ICC event or couple of "Tough Tours" - PCB will never be able to reduce that average age below 30 & I am talking about official age here.

Thanks again, if you could bear till the end of this long essay.

 

[Sherlock]

Slog, I usually agree with your views, but how is it Mickey Arthur's fault we are failing in New Zealand? The same team combination would have done well in UAE but we are not used to playing on grassy pitches and hence that is the reason why we haven't done well on this tour.

I was also a big fan of Waqar Younis (coach), but I agree with some of the posters here that he persisted with the likes of Mohammad Hafeez etc. too much. It's quite refreshing to see a new approach being brought in by Mickey Arthur where he is trying to bring in young players into the side. Are we expecting the new players to start performing right from day one? Younis and Misbah aren't going to be there forever, so this was a good time to transition them into the side.

Also, what's the guarantee that Yasir Shah would have done well on this pitch? Spinners would've been quite useless here and it was a good move to go in with four fast bowlers as the conditions would've been helpful for them.

I think Rahat Ali should have been in the side instead of Imran Khan, but that's the only disagreement I have.

Tbh Rizwan playing was a tad baffling too. I can see why Rahat was dropped and Imran Khan actually bowled better after he took his first wicket. The issues are also the drop chances that seem to be mounting up, with Aslam being the main culprit again.

The team likes to talk the big talk but when it came down to it the batting was a shambles once again. Azhar/Shafiq/YK have failed on this tour, and if it isn't for the 2nd innings it'll be a huge wake up call.

Credit to NZ too btw.

 

[Slog]

Slog, I usually agree with your views, but how is it Mickey Arthur's fault we are failing in New Zealand? The same team combination would have done well in UAE but we are not used to playing on grassy pitches and hence that is the reason why we haven't done well on this tour.

I was also a big fan of Waqar Younis (coach), but I agree with some of the posters here that he persisted with the likes of Mohammad Hafeez etc. too much. It's quite refreshing to see a new approach being brought in by Mickey Arthur where he is trying to bring in young players into the side. Are we expecting the new players to start performing right from day one? Younis and Misbah aren't going to be there forever, so this was a good time to transition them into the side.

Also, what's the guarantee that Yasir Shah would have done well on this pitch? Spinners would've been quite useless here and it was a good move to go in with four fast bowlers as the conditions would've been helpful for them.

I think Rahat Ali should have been in the side instead of Imran Khan, but that's the only disagreement I have.

There's two sides to the argument

Yes it is good to see that Mickey Arthur seems proactive but not when it's coming at the expense of the stability of the team and the batting lineup. One of the strengths and cause for praise for our test team in recent years is that it pretty much selected itself to the point where even top 7 batting orders were set in stone. But now we have a situation where the batting lineup and the team combination is being chopped and change for fun. Shafiq has batted in THREE different positions in the last m 3 matches! That's not a good sign in anyway

Rahats inclusion has also been poor which I said two days ago. Yes he is erratic but he makes chances and with four seamers we could have afforded that. Take the conditions into account and it seems a brainless decision

Mohammad Rizwan's selection - Id said this in England tour that if he ever plays a test match away from Asia if be highly surprised if he makes more than 10. Well he beat me there. Even in Asia I don't think he will do much. It was a poor decision to play him.

Finally I don't for the love of God get this logic. Mickey Arthur shouldn't be criticised. Let's get in detail.

There's two camps.

First is the group who have similar views to me who think that the Team under Waqar had built a good tenacious, fighting attitude in test cricket and wouldn't have gone down without a fight like these boys are and like we saw in England before the wholesale Arthur changes took place. But let's ignore them for a second and disregard them.

The second group says that Arthur is not to blame and we shouldn't bring him to task and even with Waqar younis we would have lost anyway like this. Let's assume that is correct. Even then what the heck does that mean? Does that mean that Arthur gets a clean chit? Why was he even bbrought in if we can't expect any improvement in performances? Why hire him anyway if the expectation is the same which was before (which I don't think is the case.) there's no doubt that even in the Windies series we kind of struggled which was embarrassing

 

[The_Odd_One]

There's two sides to the argument

Yes it is good to see that Mickey Arthur seems proactive but not when it's coming at the expense of the stability of the team and the batting lineup. One of the strengths and cause for praise for our test team in recent years is that it pretty much selected itself to the point where even top 7 batting orders were set in stone. But now we have a situation where the batting lineup and the team combination is being chopped and change for fun. Shafiq has batted in THREE different positions in the last m 3 matches! That's not a good sign in anyway

Rahats inclusion has also been poor which I said two days ago. Yes he is erratic but he makes chances and with four seamers we could have afforded that. Take the conditions into account and it seems a brainless decision

Mohammad Rizwan's selection - Id said this in England tour that if he ever plays a test match away from Asia if be highly surprised if he makes more than 10. Well he beat me there. Even in Asia I don't think he will do much. It was a poor decision to play him.

Finally I don't for the love of God get this logic. Mickey Arthur shouldn't be criticised. Let's get in detail.

There's two camps.

First is the group who have similar views to me who think that the Team under Waqar had built a good tenacious, fighting attitude in test cricket and wouldn't have gone down without a fight like these boys are and like we saw in England before the wholesale Arthur changes took place. But let's ignore them for a second and disregard them.

The second group says that Arthur is not to blame and we shouldn't bring him to task and even with Waqar younis we would have lost anyway like this. Let's assume that is correct. Even then what the heck does that mean? Does that mean that Arthur gets a clean chit? Why was he even bbrought in if we can't expect any improvement in performances? Why hire him anyway if the expectation is the same which was before (which I don't think is the case.) there's no doubt that even in the Windies series we kind of struggled which was embarrassing

I am sure had Pakistan won the first test and dominating this one, you would have given credit to Waqar.

Waqar was one of the worst coaches of all time. At least Micky is trying new things.

 

[Slog]

I am sure had Pakistan won the first test and dominating this one, you would have given credit to Waqar.

Waqar was one of the worst coaches of all time. At least Micky is trying new things.

No i wouldnt have

i didnt give west indies series win credit to waqar because by then mickey was trying his own tactics and combinations. also id expressly said earlier that if we do well down under its purely down to mickey.

best to do your research than presume and look foolish.

 

[shah_1]

We can't bat on pitches when there is pace, swing and bounce and it's got nothing to do with Mickey Author coaching.

Pakistan cricket team plays on slow crappy pitches in UAE and even more crappier pitches in Pakistan domestic matches so how do you expect them to counter some real pace and bounce. They struggled in South Africa as well under Waqar for the same reason

 

[Slog]

We can't bat on pitches when there is pace, swing and bounce and it's got nothing to do with Mickey Author coaching.

Pakistan cricket team plays on slow crappy pitches in UAE and even more crappier pitches in Pakistan domestic matches so how do you expect them to counter some real pace and bounce. They struggled in South Africa as well under Waqar for the same reason

When did Pakistan struggle under Waqar as coach?

 

[shah_1]

When did Pakistan struggle under Waqar as coach?

Oh my mistake it was Dav Whatmore

Waqar never coached too many matches outside Asia when Misbah was the captain so not a fair comparison with Mickey Arthur but my point stands on inability to bat in these conditions.

 

[Hasan123]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION], you want to critizce Arthur for making changes but has we had Waqar or any other local coach as coach of the team now Babar wouldn't have been batting at 3. It would have been Hafeez or Shehzad and we would be all out now.

Least Arthur is planning for the future and has some tactical sense. You can see a plan with Arthur unlike other coaches we have had before.

 

[Ahson8]

The result would have been the same under any other coach, including Waqar.

 

[Slog]

So does mr Arthur get another free pass?

It's pretty hilarious how some here were so ready to give him credit for England series (tests but magically not his fault for ODIs) and now same people are saying he has nothing to Do with this loss

 

[Slog]

The result would have been the same under any other coach, including Waqar.

Unlikely

Def wouldn't have lost this one

 

[The_Odd_One]

So does mr Arthur get another free pass?

It's pretty hilarious how some here were so ready to give him credit for England series (tests but magically not his fault for ODIs) and now same people are saying he has nothing to Do with this loss

He is responsible for poor planning on the last day but you can't blame him for the failure of Younis and Shafiq.

 

[sshakir411]

nah, I think Mickey is doing all the right things by identifying roles for each player. The issue I see is players are unable take responsibility. Lets be honest, most of our test wins have been due to Yasir and Ajmal. We need some inspiration in the field which the team is lacking, and it won't come from Azhar. We also need to include Sharjeel in the playing 11 and possibly an additional spinner.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

So does mr Arthur get another free pass?

It's pretty hilarious how some here were so ready to give him credit for England series (tests but magically not his fault for ODIs) and now same people are saying he has nothing to Do with this loss

Definitely agree with you
Although it's nice to get mickey Arthur coaching our players and getting involved in our domestic system he has screwed up here and should put his hands up and not try to resist blame

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan need to change the whole approach , otherwise cannot win abroad.

 

[Sadevdesai]

Say what you may..... but the Coach or the Captain does Not hold the bat when you are batting !!!!

 

[Slog]

Teflon Mickey!

Some return for this guy

Since his appointment and coach we have been in a free fall ever since his tinkering started from West indies series

yet.. no accountability

 

[Ellipsism]

He's not going to transform a bunch of hacks.

 

[Slog]

He's not going to transform a bunch of hacks.

bunch of hacks were more competitive before he came

won series in NZ. did well in england (even mickey says that was not his team but waqar's)

and forget all that. under him we have lost a macth in UAE to the weakest test nation going around. that was inconceivable

 

[Muhammad Saad]

He's not going to transform a bunch of hacks.

Exactly however under Waqar these hacks were playing to their potential and there weaknesses were hid in UAE , now with couple of away series its safe to say that they have been exposed.
But defeat to WIs is not acceptable by any stretch of imagination.

 

[Slog]

Exactly however under Waqar these hacks were playing to their potential and there weaknesses were hid in UAE , now with couple of away series its safe to say that they have been exposed.
But defeat to WIs is not acceptable by any stretch of imagination.

the facts are

under mickey they struggled even in UAE against the worst team to tour UAE for a test series ever

 

[Ellipsism]

the facts are

under mickey they struggled even in UAE against the worst team to tour UAE for a test series ever

Have you visibly seen a different playing style in the UAE under Waqar compared to when Pakistan played under Mickey?

 

[Mamoon]

Waqar would have won the series for us.