Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Rejected Extension For Head Coach Mickey Arthur: Report

Mickey Arthur could have got an extension as head coach of the Pakistan Cricket team but Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan rejected it, a report in PTI suggests. The report also adds that PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani spoke to Imran, who called for appointing a new coaching staff.

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“Arthur was very confident after these assurances that is why he came down to Lahore and spent quite a few days in anticipation of an extension but he was also disappointed and shocked when the PCB announced they were not retaining him or the support staff,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI.

The decision not to renew contracts of Arthur and other members of the staff was taken after Pakistan’s poor show at the World Cup 2019. The Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side finished at the fifth position in the points table with five wins and three defeats.

As per reports, Arthur was keen on getting an extension of two years and could have got it as well. Under him, Pakistan won 10 and lost 17 of 28 Test matches. In ODIs, Men in Green won 32 and lost 34 of 68 ODIs.

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Pakistan were a giant force in the shortest format of the game during Arthur’s stay as coach as they won 30 out of 37 T20Is. They also climbed to the top spot in T20I format and currently hold the position.

PCB has already started the process to appoint a new head coach. The board recently advertised for the position on its official website.

As per reports, Mike Hesson and Misbah-ul-Haq lead the race to take over the job. Hesson recently parted ways with IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab and is running to take over as head coach of an international team. He is also one of the contenders for the job of Bangladesh’s head coach.

On the other hand, Misbah does have an experience of coaching but the former Pakstan skipper surely has the backing of players and the board. He has also played with a number of present players and could get the nod over Hesson. He retired from the game in 2017.