3 most controversial coaches in Pakistan men's team

Pakistan is unknown for its unpredictability as a cricket team. Nasser Hussain famously said, "One minute down, next minute up," as Mohammad Amir dismissed Virat Kohli after he got a dropped chance on the previous delivery in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy.

The coach plays an integral role in the success of the team. It is their vision, along with the captain's, that helps develop a roadmap for the rest of the team.

Pakistan haven't generally been the most well-structured cricket team. There have often been controversies involving the coaches. Take a look at 3 such Pakistan national cricket team coaches.

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#1 Bob Woolmer

The Bob Woolmer controversy was part of a series of events surrounding the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer. On March 17, 2007, Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica, just days after his team were eliminated from the World Cup.

Initially, the Jamaican police ruled that Woolmer had died of natural causes, but after further investigation, they declared his death a murder. This sparked a series of intense rumors, with many believing Woolmer had been killed due to his knowledge of match-fixing.

This was reinforced by former Pakistani fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz, who sensationally claimed that Woolmer was murdered by gangsters who wanted to keep him quiet. Despite an in-depth investigation, no suspects were ever charged, and the case remains unsolved.

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#2 Javed Miandad

Javed Miandad is one of the greatest batsmen in the history of Pakistani cricket. He had an illustrious career spanning 21 years. Two years after his retirement, he joined the team as the head coach. He was among the three players to have had multiple coaching tenures.

Before the start of the 1999 World Cup, the players revolted against Miandad, claiming that the coach had made some baseless match-fixing allegations against them during the earlier Sharjah Cup tournament.

Perhaps two senior members of the team had also reportedly threatened the coach with their bats because of an accusation made against them for underperforming. He was tasked with reviving the country's fortunes in cricket, but his stint as a coach was marred by various issues.

Miandad was accused of taking too much power and attempting to control everything. Additionally, he was reported to have had a rocky relationship with the players and was accused of not communicating properly with them.

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#3 Mickey Arthur

Pakistan's cricket team had a tumultuous few years from 2016-2019, with new coach Mickey Arthur at the helm. Arthur was brought in to replace Waqar Younis, and he immediately faced a number of controversies that threatened to derail his tenure.

The most serious of these controversies was his decision to drop players from the team for disciplinary reasons, which sparked a wave of criticism from fans, players, and the media alike.

The most notable of these cases was Mohammad Hafeez, who was dropped from the team after a public spat between him and Arthur. Other players, such as Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad, also faced similar treatment.

Arthur was also criticized for his lack of faith in Pakistani spinners, as he opted to pick pace bowlers instead of spinners in most matches. Although he claimed that the decision was tactical rather than personal, the move was seen as an insult to Pakistan's spin-bowling heritage.

The most controversial incident of Arthur's tenure came when he was accused of leaking team selection information to the media. The PCB launched an inquiry into the matter, but ultimately no evidence was found to support the allegations.

Despite the controversies, Arthur's tenure as coach ended on a positive note as the team won the 2017 Champions Trophy. His tenure was still seen by many as a tumultuous period for the team.

According to reports, he is set to become Pakistan's 'online' cricket coach. However, he will join them for the ODI World Cup that will be hosted in India.