The newly appointed Pakistan head coach, Mickey Arthur has told the press that he would neither compromise on the discipline of the Pakistani cricketers nor on the standards of fielding and general fitness of the team.
The 47-year-old former South African cricketer has taken the baton from the former Pakistan fast bowler, Waqar Younis whose contract as the head coach of the Pakistan national cricket team was terminated following the team's dismal performance at the recently concluded T20 World Cup in India.
Arthur had previously coached a couple of heavyweight cricketing nations such as South Africa and Australia. Having developed a reputation for being a strict disciplinarian, the former South Africa international has had a promising stint as the head coach of the Rainbow Nation in the period between 2005 and 2010.
The 47-year-old's spell with that of Australia didn't quite turn out to be as illustrious as his previous one with South Africa. With Arthur at the helm, Australia crashed out in the group stage of 2013 ICC Champions Trophy that was held in England.
As a result of the aforementioned debacle, Arthur was soon removed as the head coach of the Baggy Greens ahead of the 2013 Ashes series.
In a recent press conference, Mickey Arthur said, “I will be tough on discipline and that's the way we can get better and better results. I want everybody to start playing for the team and I don't want any selfish players around.”
Having said that, the Pakistani cricketers have already built a reputation for themselves of frequently breaking the disciplinary code of conduct in the past. Recently, senior batsman and former Pakistan captain, Younis Khan was fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for showing dissent against the standards of umpiring in the recently concluded Pakistan Cup.
Also read: PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan confident of Mickey Arthur's success
The newly appointed Pakistan head coach, later, added, “Our bowling is good, but we need to lift our batting massively. I will also be tough on fielding and fitness and need players who can play long-term, and these issues are non-negotiable. I also want players who aren't prepared to be bullied.”
Pakistan is set to face both England and Australia on their respective home turfs in the coming days. Talking about that, Arthur said, “For Pakistan players, those conditions are trying, but I want the team to be up for the challenge. Without a doubt we will go to win... If the players show improvement, then I know I am doing my job.”
"I know everything about the job, but what I know more is that there is huge passion (for) cricket and there is enormous talent in Pakistan. I think if we can get proper structure in place then we can really get this team far away,” he concluded.
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