Misbah on PCB’s rehiring of Arthur: “Slap on Pakistan Cricket”

The job in Pakistan, if he accepts it, will be his second simultaneous coaching role as Arthur has a long-term contract with Derbyshire. Arthur is unwilling to end his job in county cricket and the two parties have reached an agreement allowing him to have both jobs. It will be an unusual deal – internationally at least – in which he will not be with the Pakistani team on every tour but will have a select group of support staff to run operations.

“It’s a slap in the face to our cricketing system that we are unable to find a full-time top coach,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a shame that the best don’t want to come and we insist on having someone who sees Pakistan as a second option.

“I blame our own system, which is vulnerable enough with so many weak lines for anyone to exploit. We have to blame ourselves for disrespecting and discrediting our own people for making a bad image. The current and former lot do not respect each other, media and former players using their own YouTube channels for rankings, seriously damaging the credibility and value of our cricket, which therefore gives the impression that we do not we are not capable.

“The Pakistani cricket fan is always unhappy, he picks up things from the media and has a bad impression. Players who talk to each other with a grudge and speak openly with disdain devalue our community, and it becomes the common perception. Our cricket has been constantly under pressure with hesitant and subjective opinions. The game is hardly the subject of objective and constructive discussions.

“Cricket is the most popular sport in the country, but sadly it never makes the headlines in the right way. It’s chaos; former cricketers ridicule their fellow cricketers on national channels with fans making mistakes. There is no empathy, no respect and no conducive environment in our country’s cricketing district.”

Arthur’s stint as Pakistan’s head coach ended in 2019 when the PCB cricket committee recommended that his contract not be renewed. Misbah was part of the very committee at the time that grilled Arthur after the 2019 World Cup and was one of those responsible for Arthur’s release. Interestingly, Misbah later took over from Arthur and had an unprecedented influence on Pakistani cricket by taking over as head coach of the national team, as well as – uniquely – as head coach. . He, however, resigned from his position while he remained in his position for a year, in September 2021.

There has always been much debate about foreign and local coaches in Pakistan, and Misbah alleged that each individual is treated differently by the PCB bureaucracy, with local coaches subject to more scrutiny from the from the board of directors.

“The PCB is always ready to support foreign coaches but never supports local coaches,” Misbah said. “They like to have coaches abroad because they think the locals can easily be politicized and are not capable of it, but do we know that it was the PCB bureaucracy that politicized the structure? They throw locals under the bus when under pressure and there has never been accountability for bureaucracy in PCB It is the mismanagement and constant changes at the helm that is a problem and we are never able to find a solid line for our cricket.