"When there's insecurity, players start playing for themselves" - Mickey Arthur calls out Pakistani players for thinking solely about their contractsÂ
Former Pakistan team director, Mickey Arthur, recently said that due to instability in the set-up, the Men in Green have been playing only for their place in the team, leading to a massive decline in team performances. There has been a massive shift in the overall structure of the team, with a completely revamped coaching staff as well as new captains.
Mohammad Hafeez took charge of the side as team director following the exit of Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn after Pakistan's exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Mickey Arthur emphasized that players tend to be selfish when there is a general air of insecurity surrounding the team and labelled such a situation as 'dangerous'.
"When there's security within the environment, Pakistan is very good. When there's that insecurity, players start playing for themselves instead of the team because they're thinking of the next tour, and the next contract. That's a dangerous place to be in, and that's kind of where Pakistan cricket is now. And that's something that's very disappointing and sad for me," Arthur said in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo.
Mickey Arthur, who has been involved with Pakistan cricket across multiple coaching stints, highlighted that the team's set-up lacks the appropriate layout and planning to hone the promising talent.
"There's a massive amount of talent there, There are some world-class players, not just talented players. They're not given the support structure that they need to flourish," he added.
Mohammed Hafeez recently blamed the players for their lack of focus and their upcoming franchise T20 assignments for their series defeats in Australia and New Zealand.
"To be brutally honest, I think Pakistan cricket is in a very disappointing place" - Mickey Arthur
Despite the bitter end to their association, the partnership between Mickey Arthur and Pakistan Cricket had its moments, especially during the veteran coach's first stint as coach with the team. He had guided Pakistan to a famous triumph in the 2017 Champions Trophy, and the team also soared in Test and T20I rankings during his tenure.
"I still follow Pakistan cricket and I'll always follow it. But the vigour and thirst and passion I have for Pakistan cricket waned a little bit after that. To be brutally honest, I think Pakistan cricket is in a very disappointing place," the veteran coach concluded.
Pakistan have a lot of issues to sort out ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, especially with newly appointed T20I skipper, Shaheen Afridi, finishing his first ever series as leader with a 1-4 defeat against New Zealand.