Mickey Arthur unhappy with Pakistan cricketers after time off

What's the story?

Pakistan cricket coach Mickey Arthur has expressed his displeasure at the shape of his wards after they were out on a five-week break from cricket following the Sri Lanka series in the UAE which ended on October 29. "I saw that players returned in a far worse state physically and technically when they were away from us for five weeks," Arthur told ESPNcricinfo.

In case you didn't know..

Ever since Arthur took over as the head coach in May 2016, his major focus has remained on fitness and discipline, two things which Pakistan have not been really renowned for in the history of their cricket. Their limited-overs tour of New Zealand this January was their first assignment since the series against Sri Lanka, and the gap in between was utilized by players participating in the domestic T20 competition, the BPL, the T10 tournament in the UAE and the BBL, in which only Shadab Khan had participated.

In January 2017, Arthur had clamped down on the cricketers' fielding, stating that “fitness and fielding are going to be a total priority”; in August, he had clearly stated that “there's no comfort zone for anybody”.

The heart of the matter

The 49-year-old, who has coached his native South Africa and Australia in the past, has set his sights on the 2019 World Cup. Of his boys' venture into the T20 leagues, he said, "Some players came back far worse from T20 competitions in all departments.”

"I want a conditioning window and a technical window outside of series time to improve our players in all departments," Arthur said. "I want us to manage our players according to what we think their needs are. The players we think are going to play in the World Cup have to be in optimum condition for it, even if it means resting players for games and series. My concern is the players need to be working hard off the field in terms of fitness during all these competitions, not coming back in worse shape. I want them to make money but not at the expense of performance for Pakistan."

What's next?

The national team's next assignment is the short tour of England in May, where they play 2 Test matches. Though the format would be different, the conditions would remain the same during the ODI World Cup in 2019 to be played in the same country.

Author's Take

For someone who has coached teams with far more discipline and agility in the past, it was always going to be a challenge to adapt to the culture of cricket in Pakistan. In fact, the famous “Homework Gate” had four Australian cricketers suspended in 2013, a move which cannot be entirely ruled out during his stint with Pakistan.