Shahid Afridi, the former captain of Pakistan who had just completed his tenure as Pakistan’s interim head selector, was confused when he heard that Mickey Arthur had reportedly been hired by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to serve as an online coach. The PCB’s preference for bringing in foreign coaches further enraged Afridi, who asserted that Pakistan has an abundance of skilled former cricketers who are qualified to coach the squad.
As the PCB executive committee is reportedly planning to complete his contract within the next two weeks, former head coach Arthur is prepared to take over as the new coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Arthur will perform most of his coaching duties online until the ICC World Cup in India in 2023.
In a quote by Cricket Pakistan, Shahid Afridi said, “Well, even I don’t know what type of coaching will happen or what the plan is. The concept of online coaching by a foreign coach for the national team is beyond comprehension.”
Afridi further added, “Why only foreign coaches? Pakistan does have good coaches here. I know PCB also takes into consideration where the person is presently involved in politics. But all those should be kept aside in cricket so that we get a person who can take the tough calls which eventually makes a good team.”
Najam Sethi, the chairman of the PCB, has announced Arthur’s return to Pakistan as head coach.
