The name’s Arthur, Coach Arthur and unlike the Hollywood film ‘Coach Carter’, ours is a ‘legend in his own mind.’ Cricket as a sport is evolving day by the day and you are as good as your last series, especially when you are the coach. Since joining Pakistan cricket team, Mickey Arthur has caused more harm than good to the national Test team, the result of which is now evident. In 12 months, Pakistan has come from the top (No. 1 position) to No. 7 and no matter what anyone says, it’s all Mickey’s doing. Let’s find out where coach Arthur went wrong and why Pakistan is turning out to be his Australia, not South Africa.
Overconfidence never helps
When Mickey Arthur was appointed Pakistan’s coach, many doubted his credentials including this scribe because his last two assignments had been disastrous – as coach of Australia in international cricket and as that of Karachi Kings in Pakistan Super League. To their better judgment, Pakistan Cricket Board named him, hoping his luck would change along with the team’s but when you take overconfident decisions hoping that things might get better, they hardly do. Mickey’s arrival was like that of an avalanche, at first, it seems harmless but with the progress of time, it gains momentum ending up as disastrous.
The return of Tried and Tested
Pakistan has loads of talent and talented individuals have proved their worth repeatedly. However, under the reign of coach Arthur, players who have been discarded in Tests are back in the side for no reason and that’s what hurts the team the most. There are many players in the current squad who could have changed the course of the game with their performances had they been given the chance but the coach had ideas that seemed brilliant to him and him alone. Shan Masood and Wahab Riaz haven’t justified their selection. Their performance has been awful. Neither has Wahab proved himself in 10 years nor is he likely to do so, after his run-up fiasco. Yes, he may have joined the ruling political party but that shouldn’t impact his selection, right?
Lack of Planning
The most underrated Pakistani cricketer of all times Azhar Ali had a great 2016-17 with the bat and was comfortable as an opening batsman in both Tests and ODIs; the reason he was sent back to his number 3 position was to accommodate the faulty selection of average openers in an international side. Asad Shafiq was needlessly promoted to number 4 and he proved the move wrong by scoring a century when sent at number 5. Babar Azam failed again in Tests and he shouldn’t have been part of the second Test. Going in with three pacers in UAE was a stupid strategy and not selecting two spinners cost Pakistan their first loss ‘at home’ since that attack on the Sri Lankan team. Isn’t it the coach’s job to nominate the best slip fielder in the side, come up with innovative ways to surprise the opponents, play with the batting order, make the players go aggressive to get a result and so forth. But hey, the coach knows more about cricket and that’s what hurt the team.
Domestic, my foot!
There was an unseen rule in Pakistan that if you performed in domestic cricket, you will be part of the international side as a reward. These days the unseen rule is that if you know people in the selection committee or if you are friends with the right people, your selection will be counted as that on ‘merit’. Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq selected his own nephew as an opener when the national team has Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali – the winning combination. He rested Azhar, retained Ahmed Shehzad and pushed Imam-ul-Haq who has had an average List A record, compared to Sami Aslam’s who scored two centuries in his last two List A outings. Fawad Alam, Junaid Khan and Sohail Khan are doing well in the domestic circuit along with many others at a time when the batting is in disarray; when Mohammad Amir seems to be struggling and the team is struggling with Wahab Riaz in the final XI. He should have been sent back the moment he threw the ball for overthrows in the first Test, showing his ‘willingness’ to play Test cricket.