Mickey Arthur, the director of the Pakistan cricket team, has come to the defense of skipper Babar Azam and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq amid criticism following Pakistan’s poor performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
The Pakistan team has suffered four consecutive losses in the tournament, marking the first time in World Cup history that they have faced such a streak in a 10-team competition.
Arthur expressed disappointment at the blame game taking place back home and believes the criticism is unfair, emphasizing that both the players and the management have made a genuine effort.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also distanced itself from selection matters, stating that Babar Azam and Inzamam-ul-Haq had autonomy in forming the squad for the World Cup.
Although Arthur admitted that the team has not performed up to expectations, he defended their commitment and hard work.
He acknowledged that Pakistan’s batting unit hasn’t lived up to its potential, especially on pitches where they should be scoring around 300 runs.
Arthur commended the team’s bowling performance against South Africa but noted that their batting still fell short of par.
He recognized that Pakistan’s form has declined, but stressed the need for improvement.
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Despite the loss to South Africa, Arthur expressed pride in the team’s effort and emphasized the importance of finishing the tournament with three victories.
He highlighted the necessity of converting good starts into substantial scores and noted that there were areas in which Pakistan needed to improve.
Looking ahead, Arthur remained cautiously optimistic about the team’s prospects for reaching the semi-finals but acknowledged the need to assess team combinations and address weaknesses.
Rumors suggest the captaincy of Babar Azam is in danger as he is most likely to be replaced in the Test series against Australia. He is expected to be replaced.