Misbah-led committee to decide Mickey Arthur’s fate

LAHORE: Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee Zaka Ashraf has said future of coaching staff would be decided by the recently constituted cricket committee, headed by former captain and chief selector Misbah ul Haq.

In an interview with Cricket Pakistan, PCB chair Ashraf said the coaches have performed well which is evident in the impressive performance of the team against Sri Lanka.

“To me, it doesn’t matter whether the coaches are local or foreign; whoever will perform well to me that is better. As of yet, coaches are doing well. But as I said earlier, we have formed a committee, and recommendations from the committee will be taken into consideration before reaching a final decision,” he added.

On the appointment of chief selector,  Ashraf said several candidates are under consideration. However, a final call will be made on the recommendation of the cricket committee.

“We have plenty of names on the list for the role of Chief Selector. Now that we have a cricket committee, we will take their advice on the said matter,” Ashraf concluded

Read more: Zaka Ashraf assumes charge as chairman PCB management committee

In February, Misbah had termed appointment of Mickey Arthur as team director by former PCB head Najam Sethi “a slap on Pakistan cricket.”

Arthur, who had coached Pakistan from 2016 to 2019, currently also serves as head of cricket at the Derbyshire county cricket club. The PCB administration at the time struck a deal allowing Arthur to keep both the jobs.

Misbah – Arthur rivalry

In 2019, after Pakistan’s failure to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup, Misbah was part of a committee that recommended the sacking of Mickey Arthur’s as the head coach . Following Arthur’s departure, Misbah was appointed as the head coach and took on the additional role of chief selector, giving him significant authority over decision-making.

Misbah himself resigned  in September 2021, with one year left in his contract.