In the aftermath of Pakistan’s disheartening performance against India in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, team director Mickey Arthur was under scrutiny for his team’s performance and his post-match comments. His remark about the India vs. Pakistan clash in Ahmedabad resembling a BCCI event over an ICC one, owing to the lack of ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ chants, stirred controversy and raised eyebrows among fans and former cricketers.
Legendary cricketer Wasim Akram wasted no time expressing his displeasure with Mickey Arthur’s comments. In a candid chat on A-Sports, Akram called out Arthur for diverting attention from the team’s performance and game plan. He raised a valid point, questioning the team’s strategy for facing the enigmatic spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, in the match.
In Akram’s eyes, Arthur’s comments were a distraction rather than a constructive discussion about Pakistan’s preparation and approach for the game. He made it clear that the fans and cricket enthusiasts wanted to hear the team’s strategy to counter specific challenges, not vague and seemingly irrelevant remarks.
“Bhaiya hame ye batao aap logo ne kya plan kiya tha? (Brother, tell me, what was the plan?) Kuldeep Yadav ko kaese khelna hai? (How did you prepare to play Kuldeep Yadav?) That’s what we want to hear. Not this random stuff. You think you can get away with this. No, you can’t, unfortunately,” he said.
Moin Khan, another former cricketer and a teammate of Wasim Akram, echoed similar sentiments about Mickey Arthur’s comments. For Khan, the issue was not merely the comments themselves but the distraction they caused. He believed that Arthur’s remarks were disheartening for many fans and only made them emotional rather than providing clarity on Pakistan’s game plan.
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In contrast, Khan believed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deserved praise for organizing the event to maximize the home advantage for the Indian team. He emphasized that the focus should be on learning from such effective event management.
Moin stated, “(He) diverting attention. A lot of people are disheartened, and you’re making them emotional. I think he should discuss what is his job as a professional rather than showing a new path. As a coach, he shouldn’t have said that. We should praise them (BCCI or making the most of the home crowd). Hamare yahan event ho so ham bhi isi tarah utilize karen. (If we host such events, we should also utilize them). We should learn from them.”
