"We're an incredibly proud team and we don't like losing. We hate losing" : Mickey Arthur

[Abdullah719]

Mickey Arthur at a press conference in Lahore today after the SA Tour:

"I'm proud of the team that went and played in SA, we were away from home on the road for 4.5 months. The intensity and the passion they trained with in the last training session, and the intensity in the first session was fantastic"

"Proud of the development of the younger players"

"Key for us going forward, we have a lot of work to do with the Test team. I don't think it's a coincidence that no Asian team hasn't won a Test series in South Africa before but we know we have a lot of work to do with the Test side"

"Our white ball teams are in pretty good shape. In terms of role clarity and skill-sets required to win in all conditions, we've made lots of progress in last 2 years"

"I was disappointed as were the boys, that we didn't get over the line in the ODI series, we thought we were as good as SA in those conditions"

"In the T20Is, there was some unbelievable cricket played there and to lose 2-1 was galling but the quality of cricket was high"

"South Africa is the toughest place to bat, to get a Man of the Series in ODIs there, to see Babar Azam's development in all formats was simply amazing"

"Talking to the SA press and public, they were immensely impressed with the standard of cricket our guys played in SA which is testimony to the work-rate, the skill-sets and the determination to keep getting better"


Building towards World Cup (PSL context)

"Inzi and I have been on the same page for a long while. I think we've got 19 players for 15 positions at the moment, Inzi and I have the same opinion. PSL always throws up 1-2 good individual performers so we'll have a look at some of our borderline players during the Australia series and make up our minds up leading into the England series"

"The key is players get clarity in terms of their roles. The other thing is to have 2 game plans. The weather in England is unpredictable. So we need an option to have our spinners suffocate the opposition in the middle overs, the key for us to win ODIs is with wickets in the middle. Either we do that with two spinners and some reverse if the weather is dry, or if it's wet, we have to have an option of a seam-bowling all-rounder who can bat 7 and be the fourth seamer. We're close and we've covered our bases in terms of personnel"


Sarfaraz's batting position in LOIs

"It's very simple, we need to be fluid and we're fluid with our game plans. Sarfaraz has done exceptional work with us up and down the order. We need to realise that form comes and goes over a long tour. Players start playing well, and then they slip off the radar so we need to then send in our form players at any given minute"

"We had a look at some key areas in the T20Is with some players, some did well in those periods and some didn't. We had to give them a chance to prove to us whether they could, or couldn't do it"

"In terms of fluidity, it's whoever's in form who can fulfil each situation's requirements. All teams are flexible and we are trying to be the same. If we didn't give chances to those players in those positions, we wouldn't know about them. The last thing we want is to get to a crunch knockout game and send a guy we don't know something about, we have to give them chances beforehand to execute. When there's a game on the line with 20k in the stadium and a TV audience, you can't recreate that in training, so we have to find out about these guys. So we know Saifi can deliver at any position in the batting order but we wanted to see what the others can do"


Sarfaraz being sent back from SA

"I was kept in the loop by the PCB. What Sarfaraz did was wrong and it was worked through, we spoke through it and educated the team through that process. Saifi took it on the chin and apologised and moved forward. He was sanctioned by ICC but that's between PCB and ICC. He's been punished, he's apologised and we can move forward"

"The insecurities around Saifi have been put to bed now. We've got clarity, I was part of that conversation with the chairman, Inzi and some other role players. We are very comfortable with Sarfaraz leading the team forward"


Domestic cricket

"I just look at players that arrive in our setup. This is no slight on anybody, it's an education process. The Chairman and the new CEO are working thoroughly to have a look at what a really good domestic structure is"

"I'm not degrading the domestic structure, but is it way too big? In my opinion, it is. Do the conditions in domestic cricket replicate Test cricket or international cricket? I'm not sure they do. These are questions that need to be answered"


India playing a lot of cricket and getting a lot of success

"We've played the most cricket over the last 4-5 months out of any cricket team in the world. I'm not using that as an excuse, because that's the way it is and we've got to handle that"

"India have a large pool of players and they rotate them very well. We didn't rotate as much as we're on a process with young players, we need to educate them in all conditions"


Planning for World Cup

"Our planning is done, we've got everything in place. Myself, Sarfaraz and Inzamam are united in the process we want going forward. We've been united in the playing group we've identified. I think our planning is as good as it could possibly be. In fact, having spoken to SA coaches, I think we're probably ahead of a lot of other teams. A lot of them are getting to their best 15 in the next couple months but they've got a bigger pool of players. We've condensed our pool primarily to give them more exposure to pressure situations. We've got to make our decisions during the Australia series and finalise for the England series and the World Cup"


Continuing after the World Cup

"I'd love to continue after the World Cup but that's up to the PCB. I think there's a lot of work to do with our Test team and I'd like to complete that"


Sarfaraz's performances

"Understand that Sarfaraz first and foremost is a captain and wicket-keeper. Wicket-keeping is a specialist position. His numbers over the last 4.5 months are mind-blowing. One catch dropped, one stumping missed. I did the research on the plane last night. He dropped 8 balls in 4.5 months (when the ball comes through to the keeper). So he's not out of form in his core job which is to keep wicket and take catches and effect stumpings"

"He'll be the first to admit his batting form has come and gone. We've worked extremely hard on his batting, he is very determined to get that right. When he plays well, he wins games for us. I am not worried about his form. He's a very good cricketer. He and I work close together, we've got a very close working relationship, as good as any working relationship I've had with any captain"


Mohammad Amir's form

"He will be the first one to tell you his stats haven't been good in ODI cricket. He's aware of it, as are we. I think he's an incredibly skilled bowled and can win games for Pakistan. When the ball swings, there's no better bowler. Yes, it hasn't swung for a bit and we're working on that. We identified he was decelerating into the crease"

"He's still incredibly skilled and has big match temperament. When the game's on the line, he wants the ball in the pressure situation and that's good enough for me at any stage. So many players across the world don't want the ball when the game is on the line, but he does. I was happy to see his performance in the last T20I, his skill level came to the fore, he executed yorkers beautifully and he gets a bit of reverse as well. Stats, not great and we know that. But sometimes you have a gut feel about the player. When the big moment presents itself, I'm comfortable that he will deliver"


Dressing room incident in South Africa

"What's said in the dressing room stays there. I'm very straightforward as a coach and the players know that. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I'm honest and open. For me, that creates an environment with a lot of trust. Yes, I'm pretty emotional at times"

"At that moment, I did have a conversation with the senior players. But that was a positive, constructive conversation in the dressing room. A lot of the stuff was grossly exaggerated and I make no apologies for having those discussions. Those discussions are only to improve the team and there's no malice intended. When we walk out the dressing room, we're as united as we were before the discussion. I need to give the guys a straightforward and honest appraisal, like I do everyday. We debrief after every day of international cricket we play and I can't sugarcoat it when we didn't think it was good enough. However, I hate the fact that it comes out in the media"


Who is responsible for the series losses?

"We're a united team, once we start blaming bowling or batting then you split the team and it becomes grouped into bowlers or batters. We take responsibility, every one of us, for results. We were in it together. We're a very proud team. If you could see how gutted the players are after every loss, you'd be very proud of them because it just shows how much it means, playing for Pakistan for these players. Our dressing room is a shattered place when we lost a game. We're an incredibly proud team and we don't like losing. We hate losing. We're there to win, for Pakistan first and foremost"

"Sometimes the opposition plays incredibly well. SA dominated us in the Tests, in those conditions and again, I thought the ODI series were touch and go. We had opportunities to win every one of those games and those are the key areas we're focusing on as a team. When the key moment presents itself in a game, we have to have the ability to nail it and I think that was our problem on this tour. We didn't nail those key moments. Hopefully we can learn from that and nail those moments next time"


Senior players

"Mohammad Amir is certainly within the mix for the World Cup. Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq are senior players and they are the guys who will drive our batting forward. To be honest, we don't play Test cricket till September so we've got to have a look as to where we go with that. But I haven't lost any faith in Azhar and Asad. I still think they have a lot to offer Pakistan cricket, provided they are in form. They're really dedicated professionals and above all, fantastic blokes who contribute greatly to the Pakistan team"


Six-hitting a concern?

"In T20 cricket, we've won 14 off the last 18 games and we got to #1 in the world through not hitting the amount of sixes that the other teams do. So we do it differently, because we don't have those players"

"In ODI cricket it's something we need to work on, we work on our power hitting every day in the nets. When the training session finishes, guys go out to the middle, we throw balls at them and work on their stable positions and their power hitting. It's something we're trying damn hard to get right. I know we don't hit as many sixes. If we don't have the personnel, we have to find other ways. I think our running between the wickets has improved tremendously, I think we outran SA. Of course if we can find the power hitter who can do it, that'd be fantastic. It was interesting to see Shadab in the last T20I, he's worked on his power hitting every day and it came to the fore in the last game. All we can do is to try and make these players better at it"


Faheem Ashraf

"I think he's a fantastic cricketer. We've got to realise he's a very young cricketer, still finding his way. We're trying to develop a seam bowling all-rounder. Our best way of winning Tests is with five bowlers, that's our most attacking style and that's the brand we want to play to win Tests. We have to work on his batting though, he is critical to the team"

"The reason we couldn't go with five bowlers was Shadab Khan - for us to play 5 bowlers, he becomes paramount in that selection. He can bat 7 and he can be our 5th bowler. That's no slight on Yasir Shah, we can play both of them with three seamers as well. Faheem is probably not able to bat at #7 in our Test side at this point as that makes our tail too long. So with Shadab not available for Test #1, we couldn't go down that line. We're trying damn hard with Faheem's batting, he works immensely hard on his game. His bowling has got better at times. Towards the back end of the tour, he was iffy but when he had clarity about his role, he produced at the death so we've got to take the confidence he bowls with at the death to his first couple of overs and then we'll get the best out of him. I still think he's a very talented cricketer and one that we can work on going forward"


Conflict of interest as Karachi Kings coach?

"I'm way too professional to let those two things impact each other. I'm here to do a job for Pakistan cricket, I want the best out of Pakistan cricket. I will select, with Inzamam and the selection panel, the best possible combination to win the World Cup"

"Being with Karachi Kings allows me an opportunity to work with other players and gives me a chance during PSL to see any young talent that's out there"


Hafeez, Malik at the World Cup?

"The senior players will play a massive role at the World Cup. In big tournaments, you need guys who have been there and done it. I hope Hafeez and Malik have exceptional World Cups, because if they do, we'll be getting enough runs to put pressure on the opposition. I'm still of the opinion that our bowling attack won us the Champions Trophy and we have to get that up to the mark again. Our batters will complement the bowling attack"

[WengerOut]

Last 5 months, India have played 33 matches while Pakistan have played 30.

[AMSS]

This man is *very* good. Or rather, I should say he's a quick learner and that's doubly impressive on account of his age.

[xricket]

I want him to be the head of Pakistan Cricket. He could revolutionize our domestic setup & can do what no other has done, provided he would be given authority so that no would be able to intercede or call for favors

[Varun]

Sounds like a Cornered Tigers speech!

[Markhor]

If only the administrators had the drive and passion of Mickey Arthur.

[PakPremi]

Nice clarity from Mickey but as usual would not go down well with our D&G fans who want instant results from a team lacking in finances and resources/structures, and experience.

[Brilliance]

He sure as damn knows the problem and is very honest about it. I'd like him to continue as our coach after the WC. He is one hell of a professional. He has gotten used to the team and our setup and all the young players. This can help Pakistan massively rather than bringing a new coach and him having to start from the scratch.

[PakPremi]

He sure as damn knows the problem and is very honest about it. I'd like him to continue as our coach after the WC. He is one hell of a professional. He has gotten used to the team and our setup and all the young players. This can help Pakistan massively rather than bringing a new coach and him having to start from the scratch.

Yup no point changing coach irrespective of results as Pak do not have enough experienced talented players. We just need to carry on with bulk of selected players, adding/removing few here and there.
Fielding, Fitness have improved tremendously, batting skills take longer to enhance. Pak team also needs a boost of playing in actual home.

[Sherlock]

We must be collectively like a team of Incredible Hulk[s] then...

[Hyperion66]

I wish we had a coach like Micky, guy talks generic but acts genuine and that's what matters.

[Pete Rose]

It was all going so well till he mentioned both Malik and Hafeez having a good World Cup

[Mamoon]

Losing games is standard procedure for Pakistan cricket. It is routine for us.

Hating something that is routine is unhealthy.

[RyanRyan10]

Before opening the thread i thought the quote was made by Ravi Shastri

[mahmed]

Last 5 months, India have played 33 matches while Pakistan have played 30.

India have larger pool of players, keep this in mind.

[WengerOut]

India have larger pool of players, keep this in mind.

That was not the point. What he said was factually off the mark

[Titan24]

Good to know that atleast he is willing to try some players before WC.

[Plumb]

Good to know that atleast he is willing to try some players before WC.

Yes we know what he tried ...Asif Ali the guy who will win us the WC19....One thing for sure Mickey don't have the eye to pick talent.

[Jabo]

Well the players and selectors must love it with some of the decisions make

[Plumb]

"Inzi and I have been on the same page for a long while. I think we've got 19 players for 15 positions at the moment, Inzi and I have the same opinion. PSL always throws up 1-2 good individual performers so we'll have a look at some of our borderline players during the Australia series and make up our minds up leading into the England series"

This guy will create another disaster.. will pick hacks from psl with no domestic reference and we will be out of WC in no time...

[Mamoon]

Mickey is living the dream as Pakistan coach.

There is no pressure to win matches against the big teams because we are always “building”, “developing” and “progressing”.

We have been awful in Tests and ODIs against the higher ranked teams for a long time, but it is fine because it is “part of the process”, a process that has no end date - a process that was started by Mickey in 2016 and will be ongoing till the day Mickey is bored and has enough money in the bank to enjoy retirement.

Apart from the low expectations job that he has with the national team, he also gets a hefty paycheck once a year to flop in the PSL.

However, that is not a problem as long as gets to keep a close eye on some mediocre young player that he will handpick to ensure that we continue to lose against the big teams.

The only thing he needs to do to ensure he keeps his job is use some big words in his press conferences after every thrashing, justify the defeat because we have made strides that only he is capable of noticing, and praise a couple of the young players.

That is all the PCB and the fans want to hear. No wonder he will love to continue after the World Cup, where he will put a positive spin on the inevitable humiliation that the team will suffer.

[Gullycricket]

Man with a plan.Never we had such clarity in our cricket in last decade.Inshaallah WC will be ours and hard work will trump money power

[Green Patriot]

Same old same old.development,progress,building and throw in any other synonyms and adjectives.

It is clear as daylight,through this press conference,that nothing will change.Malik and Hafeez will continue to play the seniors role in ODIs and Azhar and Asad in tests.
Amir is a big match player and will be retained despite his horrendous ODI form.
Faheem will be retained because he is progressing and is talented.
Team is almost finalised and unless someone comes up with a stellar,unforgettable performance in the PSL the worldcup squad will pretty much be the same as the one in South Africa as the preparations are done and dusted.
Nothing to be done here and Mickey is positive about it.

Perhaps they are hoping for another phase of luck what with the venue being England and the month,being Ramadhan because other than that they are hell bent on playing the same old players despite their indifferent performances because apparently they are progressing and talented an 'insert flowery adjectives'.

[ask_analyse_act]

It was all going so well till he mentioned both Malik and Hafeez having a good World Cup

he has to play them in the CWC and cannot drop them... They will score against AFG, BAN, SRL and may WI but will fail against the rest of the 6 teams.. He and his team somehow has to ensure that these two doesnt get to bat any more than 12 overs to put decent total on the board..

[Pete Rose]

he has to play them in the CWC and cannot drop them... They will score against AFG, BAN, SRL and may WI but will fail against the rest of the 6 teams.. He and his team somehow has to ensure that these two doesnt get to bat any more than 12 overs to put decent total on the board..

We'll see. seems to be that they plan to play a lot of probables in the upcoming series against Austra;ia. I dont know when the teams have to announce the world cup squads and whether thats before or after the odi series against england. My hope is the next ten games will make one or both of their selections unsustainable.

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

I am astounded at the comfort level Mickey displays at his team losing games.

'No one from Sub Continent wins in SA.' Well, no one used to win in Australia as well, until one team went ahead and did it.

He is also joining the 'There is no javed Miandad in domestic cricket' bandwagon, by discarding young domestic talent in favor of people who have proven that their powers have declined. This despite most young players who have snuck in to the team, have done well for him.

Sarfraz, Inzamam, Mickey and Mani console each other after every defeat by using words like 'rebuilding'. It was a South Africa team there for the taking - in a rebuilding process of their own.

But as Otis Gibson said for his team 'job done.' Pity Mickey is saying the same.

[MenInG]

I am astounded at the comfort level Mickey displays at his team losing games.

'No one from Sub Continent wins in SA.' Well, no one used to win in Australia as well, until one team went ahead and did it.

He is also joining the 'There is no javed Miandad in domestic cricket' bandwagon, by discarding young domestic talent in favor of people who have proven that their powers have declined. This despite most young players who have snuck in to the team, have done well for him.

Sarfraz, Inzamam, Mickey and Mani console each other after every defeat by using words like 'rebuilding'. It was a South Africa team there for the taking - in a rebuilding process of their own.

But as Otis Gibson said for his team 'job done.' Pity Mickey is saying the same.

So if Mickey comes out and says "This team is rubbish etc" then we are told that he shouldnt be saying it in public.

[Ahmed216]

Ok the standard of domestic cricket isnt great but according to him standard of PSL is so high that he fastracks players into the test side based on performances in the PSL.
PSL in which ronchis and akmals have been the highest run getters.

He doesnt know how important it is for players to hone their skills and develop character in 4 day games on good pitches.

He and Inzi have been the biggest reasons behind Paks decline.

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

So if Mickey comes out and says "This team is rubbish etc" then we are told that he shouldnt be saying it in public.

Is that how you look at things? Black or White? There is nothing in between?

Here are some tips on what he could have said:

1. He could start by accepting Pakistan had a great chance, lost key moments once again, had one bad session in each game that made the difference. Since this has happened for a while, here are the couple of interventions we are going to do to break this pattern. A, B, C
2. Our currency is not progress, our currency is results. Something that I have always emphasized.
3. Core of the team is right since team competed well in most games it lost, but needs reinforcements in the following areas: A, B, C.
4. The next series of commitments - PSL, Aus, England - will be used to find the right talent to fit in some slots. We will give chances to some upcoming youngsters.
5. Here is what I have decided to do to help Domestic cricket get ready for Pakistan team in conjunction with Mani and Wasim based on what I have noticed...

etc etc.

[Titan24]

"Inzi and I have been on the same page for a long while. I think we've got 19 players for 15 positions at the moment, Inzi and I have the same opinion. PSL always throws up 1-2 good individual performers so we'll have a look at some of our borderline players during the Australia series and make up our minds up leading into the England series"

This guy will create another disaster.. will pick hacks from psl with no domestic reference and we will be out of WC in no time...

Other than Hussain Talat and Asif Ali, every body selected has performed and has become regular member of the team.

But, I do agree that domestic performers who are good enough for international cricket should also be considered not only the ones who perform in PSL.

[Syed1]

A middle order of Hafeez, Malik and Sarfaraz is a recipe for disaster. Mickey is all talk and zero action.


If we are going to falter at the WC it is going to be because of the following:

1. Imam's snail paced Azhar Ali-esque innings
2. Malik and Sarfaraz vs pacers
3. Lack of proper number 6
4. No specialist spinner



Mickey had a good 3-4 years to build the side and this is what he has managed to assembled. Then he runs his mouth saying "we hate losing".

[HappyWarsFan]

Well thankfully Mickey and Grants contracts end after the WC. Both won't be renewed and Sarfraz will be sacked, then we can finally have a proper setup.

This current setup is all talk and no progress

[IAJ]

If only the administrators had the drive and passion of Mickey Arthur.

And not to forget the players, they have no drive and passion whatsoever.

[Markhor]

Well thankfully Mickey and Grants contracts end after the WC. Both won't be renewed and Sarfraz will be sacked, then we can finally have a proper setup.

This current setup is all talk and no progress

The ODI and T20 teams were tottering at #9 and #7 in the rankings when Mickey was appointed. The rankings are now #5 (with an ICC trophy) and #1 so how has there been no progress ?

The Test team has struggled which was to be expected after several tough away tours and retirements of Younis and Misbah. However Sarfraz's inept captaincy, batting and decision making (recalling Mohammad Hafeez in UAE instead of blooding Saad Ali) has more to do with our slide.

If we sack Mickey, who are Pep Guardiolas and Jose Mourinhos of cricket who'll replace him when A) they'd need to commit to relocate to Pakistan and B) they'd take a paycut compared to the lucrative incomes they could earn from coaching T20 franchises for far less headache than working for PCB.

The local coaches are incompetent as we saw with Waqar Younis's two disasterous stints.

[Markhor]

A middle order of Hafeez, Malik and Sarfaraz is a recipe for disaster. Mickey is all talk and zero action.


If we are going to falter at the WC it is going to be because of the following:

1. Imam's snail paced Azhar Ali-esque innings
2. Malik and Sarfaraz vs pacers
3. Lack of proper number 6
4. No specialist spinner



Mickey had a good 3-4 years to build the side and this is what he has managed to assembled. Then he runs his mouth saying "we hate losing".

5. Sarfrwz's inept batting.

[ask_analyse_act]

A middle order of Hafeez, Malik and Sarfaraz is a recipe for disaster. Mickey is all talk and zero action.


If we are going to falter at the WC it is going to be because of the following:

1. Imam's snail paced Azhar Ali-esque innings
2. Malik and Sarfaraz vs pacers
3. Lack of proper number 6
4. No specialist spinner



Mickey had a good 3-4 years to build the side and this is what he has managed to assembled. Then he runs his mouth saying "we hate losing".

No coach can do wonders when seniority prevails within the team culture. Every 4 years had 2 old trundling seniors looking to play for their last CWC but can’t be selected on merit. In 2015, it was Misbah Afridi and Younis who have selected themselves 2-3 years ahead of the CWC. This time it will be Hafeez and Malik and following this it will be sarfraz Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali in 2023 CWC I guess and it never ends.

[Hasan123]

Mickey is a good coach. I really thought he would have gotten rid of some of the senior players. But instead they will play to the WC.

We should be trying out a new spinner in the series vs Australia, also a new middle order batter because Hafeez, Malik, and Sarfaraz will get you nowhere.

[rhony]

Last 5 months, India have played 33 matches while Pakistan have played 30.

Arthur will be the first person to agree if he knew these stats

[topspin]

Mickey is living the dream as Pakistan coach.

There is no pressure to win matches against the big teams because we are always “building”, “developing” and “progressing”.

We have been awful in Tests and ODIs against the higher ranked teams for a long time, but it is fine because it is “part of the process”, a process that has no end date - a process that was started by Mickey in 2016 and will be ongoing till the day Mickey is bored and has enough money in the bank to enjoy retirement.

Apart from the low expectations job that he has with the national team, he also gets a hefty paycheck once a year to flop in the PSL.

However, that is not a problem as long as gets to keep a close eye on some mediocre young player that he will handpick to ensure that we continue to lose against the big teams.

The only thing he needs to do to ensure he keeps his job is use some big words in his press conferences after every thrashing, justify the defeat because we have made strides that only he is capable of noticing, and praise a couple of the young players.

That is all the PCB and the fans want to hear. No wonder he will love to continue after the World Cup, where he will put a positive spin on the inevitable humiliation that the team will suffer.

So would you like to see him gone?

You seemed to have made a U-turn from your statement a few months back when you told me he wouldn't leave the Pakistan coaching role because he is too emotionally invested but now you're implying he's there for the paycheck?

I think he's been a good coach for Pakistan when you the constraints and flaws one has to contend with Pakistan's outdated cricketing structure.

[Square Drive]

And not to forget the players, they have no drive and passion whatsoever.

Not true at all.

Results may not show it, but these are some of the hungriest, most driven players we've had in a while.

[Mamoon]

So would you like to see him gone?

You seemed to have made a U-turn from your statement a few months back when you told me he wouldn't leave the Pakistan coaching role because he is too emotionally invested but now you're implying he's there for the paycheck?

I think he's been a good coach for Pakistan when you the constraints and flaws one has to contend with Pakistan's outdated cricketing structure.

I think Mickey of today is not the Mickey of 2016-2017. Back then, he was honest, critical and did not back away from publicly criticising the players that did not fit the brand of cricket that he was implementing. He publicly belittled Sohail Khan for his lack of pace, in spite of the fact that he took two 5 wicket hauls in England.

Today, he is making excuses and ignoring all the non-performers. Mickey of the past would have been vocal over the poor performances of some of the players like Faheem for example, but now he is waxing lyrical about them.

The impression that I get from his recent statements in the media is that he has pretty much given up on this team. I think the Asia Cup followed by the New Zealand defeat was the straw that broke the camel's back - that reality check undid all the work that he put in and teams like India, New Zealand and Bangladesh showed him the mirror.

Since then, he has been making generic statements and generously praising players without touching on any critical points and analysing the weakness of the team like he did in the past. He probably fears that his job is on the line and is saying things that the media wants to hear.

I will be genuinely surprised if he believes half of what he said in this press conference. The South African tour was by all accounts a drubbing, and it has come 2.5 years into his tenure. A coach who has set high standards for himself and for the team, and has harped about progress and development for 2.5 years cannot be anything but furious with this performance.

[CricketingMinds]

@Mamoon - What do you recommend?

[WengerOut]

Arthur will be the first person to agree if he knew these stats

Why would he confidently say incorrect things if he did not know the stats? I know he said otherwise, but that sounded like an excuse.

[rhony]

Why would he confidently say incorrect things if he did not know the stats? I know he said otherwise, but that sounded like an excuse.

I was just trying to use his favorite phrase " First person to agree" that he uses to cover mediocrity

Faheem is the first person to agree he needs to bat well
Sarfraz is the first person to agree his form has come and gone

[Savak]

Mickey Arthur has definately softened, or maybe he hypocritically backs his blue eyed boys and pounced on the players he dislikes at the first available opportunity

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Maybe this one is more readable

[Ami]

He mentions a core of around 19 players...I bet my bottom dollor this is the team...

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Hafeez
Malik
Sarfaraz
Imad
Shadab
Hasan
Amir
Afridi

Plus these 4 to take to the World Cup...

Faheem
Shinwari
Asif
Shan

These are the other 4 that will be considered but not selected...

Hussain Talat
Junaid
Haris
Riz.

(May be the odd wild card (s) from PSL 4 to shore up the squad, but i doubt it at this late stage).

[DRsohail]

I think Mickey of today is not the Mickey of 2016-2017. Back then, he was honest, critical and did not back away from publicly criticising the players that did not fit the brand of cricket that he was implementing. He publicly belittled Sohail Khan for his lack of pace, in spite of the fact that he took two 5 wicket hauls in England.

Today, he is making excuses and ignoring all the non-performers. Mickey of the past would have been vocal over the poor performances of some of the players like Faheem for example, but now he is waxing lyrical about them.

The impression that I get from his recent statements in the media is that he has pretty much given up on this team. I think the Asia Cup followed by the New Zealand defeat was the straw that broke the camel's back - that reality check undid all the work that he put in and teams like India, New Zealand and Bangladesh showed him the mirror.

Since then, he has been making generic statements and generously praising players without touching on any critical points and analysing the weakness of the team like he did in the past. He probably fears that his job is on the line and is saying things that the media wants to hear.

I will be genuinely surprised if he believes half of what he said in this press conference. The South African tour was by all accounts a drubbing, and it has come 2.5 years into his tenure. A coach who has set high standards for himself and for the team, and has harped about progress and development for 2.5 years cannot be anything but furious with this performance.

I Think the same Mamoon. Look last time he tried to boot hafiz out but quickly realised that he is carrying a bunch of mediocre cricketers and quickly realsied that Inzi is not gonna listen and so PCB with head being politically appointed knowing and doing nothing so he is trying to save hos job and take those extra perks comfortably which i feel is the only way for him.

[Khan12]

He mentions a core of around 19 players...I bet my bottom dollor this is the team...

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Hafeez
Malik
Sarfaraz
Imad
Shadab
Hasan
Amir
Afridi

Plus these 4 to take to the World Cup...

Faheem
Shinwari
Asif
Shan

These are the other 4 that will be considered but not selected...

Hussain Talat
Junaid
Haris
Riz.

(May be the odd wild card (s) from PSL 4 to shore up the squad, but i doubt it at this late stage).

Haris will be selected if he's fit, which he is. He is our second best batsmen after Babar.

[Saj]

Hate losing but it's becoming a habit, especially in Test cricket.

Changes need to be made in the Test team for it to be competitive.

[SarfiBabarHaris]

He mentions a core of around 19 players...I bet my bottom dollor this is the team...

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Hafeez
Malik
Sarfaraz
Imad
Shadab
Hasan
Amir
Afridi

Plus these 4 to take to the World Cup...

Faheem
Shinwari
Asif
Shan

These are the other 4 that will be considered but not selected...

Hussain Talat
Junaid
Haris
Riz.

(May be the odd wild card (s) from PSL 4 to shore up the squad, but i doubt it at this late stage).

Sarfraz in a recent interview mentioned Haris Sohail's name as a potential player for middle order in World cup.

[topspin]

I think Mickey of today is not the Mickey of 2016-2017. Back then, he was honest, critical and did not back away from publicly criticising the players that did not fit the brand of cricket that he was implementing. He publicly belittled Sohail Khan for his lack of pace, in spite of the fact that he took two 5 wicket hauls in England.

Today, he is making excuses and ignoring all the non-performers. Mickey of the past would have been vocal over the poor performances of some of the players like Faheem for example, but now he is waxing lyrical about them.

The impression that I get from his recent statements in the media is that he has pretty much given up on this team. I think the Asia Cup followed by the New Zealand defeat was the straw that broke the camel's back - that reality check undid all the work that he put in and teams like India, New Zealand and Bangladesh showed him the mirror.

Since then, he has been making generic statements and generously praising players without touching on any critical points and analysing the weakness of the team like he did in the past. He probably fears that his job is on the line and is saying things that the media wants to hear.

I will be genuinely surprised if he believes half of what he said in this press conference. The South African tour was by all accounts a drubbing, and it has come 2.5 years into his tenure. A coach who has set high standards for himself and for the team, and has harped about progress and development for 2.5 years cannot be anything but furious with this performance.

Indeed I certainly don't think a man who holds such high standards would be content with the incompetence of Sarfraz but PCB thinks otherwise. I think the moment when PCB hired Mohsin Khan in the committee that drained Mickey's motivation for the role.

Must admit you were right all along with Ehsan Mani. Imran Khan has made a horrible appointment and its sad to see him take a backseat with all that is unfolding with the WC looming by. Doesn't put the PCB in good light with Mani's outbursts at ICC - as if he has little to no regard for the offensive remark made by Sarfraz.

[rollingstoned]

Wow. @MMHS you must be quite unimpressed by these comments.

[PakPremi]

Nice clarity from Mickey but as usual would not go down well with our D&G fans who want instant results from a team lacking in finances and resources/structures, and experience.

Guess I was right.

[Arsalan Pro]

Is there any team that likes losing?

[Ali Bohra]

Conflicts of Interest( Coach pak as well as in PSL)

[jagatk]

Rest of it seemed generic pap, but really found the headline funny. Pakistan is a proud team who hates losing as opposed to every other team who are ashamed of themselves and love losing?

[IMMY69]

The 15-16 players we have for the T20 and ODI teams are perfectly fine.
We beat the Aussies at home and should have beaten the Kiwis too had it not been for rain.
As for South Africa, Malik had one good game and another pathetic game which cost us the series.
But all in all the white ball team is just fine and that ODI series was extremely close. Only player I would exclude from the Word Cup squad is Malik...

For tests, the solution is simple. Replace Shafiq and Azhar with the next ones in line and let them bed in.

[Amjid Javed]

Clearly obvious from this interview pathetic team selections wont change, espcially with test side with failures like sarfraz, shafiq and Azhar been persisted with just because they are seniors.

Time for Arthur, inzi and sarfraz to get the boot.

[Amjid Javed]

Sarfraz is wicket keeper and captain 1st? Yet hes batting top 6 in tests and odis do in a position as a batsmen, but as failure should be ignored.

Same losers will be pickef for SL and Aus tests and will lose.