Mickey Arthur, a veteran in South African cricket who led Pakistan from 2016 to 2019, has accepted a job offer to lead the team once more and will start in a few days, according to individuals with knowledge of the situation.
Najam Sethi, the chair of the management committee for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), presented the offer to Arthur. According to sources, Arthur will join the team prior to the eighth session of the Pakistan Super League and assume his position in the new PCB structure.
It may be noted that the Men in Green lifted the Champions Trophy in 2017 under Arthur’s coaching.
The new PCB management is overhauling the board and has sacked the governing body, Mohammad Wasim-led selection committee, while a decision has reportedly been taken to not extend the contracts of head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and bowling coach Shaun Tait.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media ahead of the first Test against New Zealand on Sunday, skipper Babar Azam said they are focused on their game.
Asked following so many happenings, change of guard in the PCB and selection committee, and the country’s failure in the last four successive Tests is his team in the right frame of mind to win the series against New Zealand, Babar said: “The way things are going on and in the last few days changes have come, I think as a professional you are to face such things”.
“But our job is to perform and to apply our best. Look, these things are off the ground and our entire focus is on the ground and how to win a match and how to start well this series and how to deliver in all three departments,” he said.
Asked whether he was consulted by the selectors who have added three more players to the squad Babar said he had been consulted.
“Yes it was discussed with me and we debated on it how we have to carry forward because they have their own mindset. I gave my input and whatever we thought was the best we did that,” he said.
