PCB not to renew Mickey Arthur’s contract

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Arthur will not continue as Pakistan's Head Coach. © Getty

Pakistan cricket’s coaching department is set for an overhaul after the PCB announced on Wednesday (August 7) that the contracts of Head Coach Mickey Arthur, Bowling Coach Azhar Mahmood, Batting Coach Grant Flower and Trainer Grant Luden will not be renewed.

The announcement follows a meeting of the PCB Cricket Committee on Friday, with the members unanimous in the recommendations for a change in the coaching personnel. The committee – headed by PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan, with Wasim Akram, Misbah ul Haq, and Urooj Mumtaz as the other members – forwarded and discussed the recommendations with the PCB Chairman, Ehsan Mani.

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“I am thankful to the PCB Cricket Committee for submitting their recommendations following an exhaustive and detailed review process. The committee comprised of individuals who possess tremendous acumen, experience and knowledge. The unanimous recommendation of the Committee was that it was time for new leadership and a fresh approach. I am happy to accept their strong recommendations,” Mani said.

“On behalf of the PCB, I want to sincerely thank Mickey Arthur, Grant Flower, Grant Luden and Azhar Mahmood for their hard work and unwavering commitment during their tenures with the national men’s team. We wish them every success in their future endeavors. The PCB remains committed to its fans and followers and we will do our utmost to ensure that we make decisions that continue to move Pakistan cricket forward in all formats,” he further added.

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In 2016, Arthur was appointed as head coach of the Pakistan team following the exit of Waqar Younis, who stepped down from the position after a below-par performance from the team in the 2016 edition of the World T20. Flower had joined the team as batting coach two years before Arthur’s appointment while Mahmood was included in the coaching setup in November 2016.

Under Arthur, Pakistan’s major accomplishment was their Champions Trophy title triumph in 2017. Arthur was also credited to have improved the work ethics of the Pakistan team and laid an emphasis on the fitness aspect. Pakistan also moved up to the No. 1 spot in T20Is under this staff while they were temporarily ranked No. 1 in Test cricket. However, Pakistan’s failure to reach the semi-final stage of the recently-concluded 2019 World Cup might have had an influence on the cricket committee’s recommendations.

With the contracts of the four ending later this month, the PCB announced that will “advertise the four available roles and will invite high level applications from interested candidates” as part of the recruitment process to fill in the four vacant coaching positions.

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