[MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION]
Ultimately I think that Test results are mainly determined by your fast bowling stocks.
And after a long gap, finally there is serious emerging pace bowling talent in Pakistan.
I fully accept that there is usually more batting talent in Sri Lanka. But itÂ’s a huge thing for an Australian South African to be willing to live in Pakistan when he could live in Sri Lanka, and itÂ’s a reflection of the relative talent that there is to work with.
Your thinking is perfectly right with a I agree with a little modification- Test matches are won by wicket taking bowlers and SRL has produced the greatest of them. Also, we have seen recently SRL pacers blowing SAF top order with their new ball skills & PAK pacers went at 4.5 in first two sessions of JÂ’brg Test - thatÂ’s why SRL came as 2-0 winners & PAK as 0-3 losers. You see, when you talk logic, I am always there by your side.
I have been playing in PP for may years now though my account is just about 8.5 years old - for long time I have read about serious talent, I hope this time it lasts long. But, the premises you are talking - that Arthur is horny about coaching for the fast bowling talent and not SRL... I guess, IÂ’ll have to disagree with that a little - his excitement should go down with the site of PAKÂ’s upcoming batting talent ... must had been excited fixing Fakhar Zaman’s raw batting talent, I believe. Net, net, I guess he will follow money more, rather than talent. Also, I guess he wonÂ’t be called donkey in a nation wide tv channel there - that little class I do expect from former Lankan players - that’s added bonus.
No, there is nothing about talent for Arthur or any coach to join SRL or any team - in that regard we are overflowing with talent, trust me - there were half a dozen class A resume at BCBÂ’s hand before they opted for Domingo (and that guy didnÂ’t join BD team, for the talent or night life of Dhaka). And, there are several foreigners working in club level of Bangladesh cricket - and I can safely tell you that managing talent ;or night life of Bangladesh) is not the biggest motivation there to be honest.
Bottom line is the harsh words - beggars are not choosers. Arthur was thrown out of PAK cricket quite unceremoniously (& unprofessionally) and ended up at a club in NZ .... it’s SRL board that gave him a lifeline, not other way round. And, have to say Lankan board is quite stupid in that regard - otherwise they won’t have replaced Hathura with a proven failure for their home condition. This is same Hathura, who managed them in their 2–0 win in SAF, so I guess he knows some tricks about fast bowling.
My hunch is (this is from experience of following both coaches quite closely), the biggest quality that went in favour of Arthur (if true, in comparison to Hathura), is that Hathura is quite uncompromising, demanding and unpolished while the other one is the perfect jelly fish - heÂ’ll learn to behave quickly to keep his job, and SLCB needs someone sweet talker like that.
Anyway, my post wasnÂ’t to ruffle any feather here, but just didnÂ’t like the tone of your post. 35 years back when I started playing arching PAK cricket, that time pampering blogs were not there to boast PAKÂ’s natural talent, but PAK team was there on field to cover for that gap... I guess these days the role has altered. Those days, PAK fans didnÂ’t require to pull down other teams, rather other fans used to admire their players. If Arthur is indeed hired, youÂ’ll definitely hear about the mercurial talent of SRL cricket, how they hate to lose and how much proud they are even after being blanked series after series, sometimes not even to the first choice teams.