Arthur calls for team consistency

Pakistan haven't won a home Test since 2022

Former Pakistan cricket coach Mickey Arthur has expressed concerns over the impact of excessive promotion of players, stating that it distances them from reality and makes them believe they are more important than they actually are.

Following Pakistan's defeat to England, Arthur shared his thoughts on social media, praising the players' skills but also highlighting several factors that negatively affect the team's morale and performance.

Arthur emphasised that Pakistan's players are exceptionally talented and deserving of their spots on the team.

However, he stressed that in order to improve performance, consistency in selection, environment, and administration is crucial.

"The players are very, very skilled and are the right ones," Arthur said. "The inconsistency around selection, environment, and administration plays a role in team morale, give the players structure, and they will perform."

Arthur also pointed out the harmful role of media-driven narratives, describing how the media's negative rhetoric can hurt the team. "The vile rhetoric from media and media-driven agendas do not help," he remarked.

A key point in Arthur's critique was the overpromotion of players by agents or the media, which he believes gives them a false sense of importance.

"The promotion of players by player agents or media makes the player sometimes think he is way more important than he is in reality, creating a false view," Arthur highlighted.

Arthur emphasised that representing Pakistan should be the highlight of a player's career. "Playing for Pakistan should be the best time ever!" he said.

Akhtar frustrated

Legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his frustration during a live television discussion on PTV Sports following Pakistan's latest Test defeat, succumbing to England by an innings and 47 runs. The loss, which took place on Friday, marked another chapter in a series of disappointing performances for the national team.

In a candid and passionate address, Akhtar did not hold back in criticizing both the players and the management, asserting that Pakistan cricket has experienced a significant decline over the past decade. He bluntly stated that the current players are "not good enough" to represent the nation on the international stage.

"You will reap what you sow. Over the decades, I have seen the decline. The situation is disappointing. Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope. This shows that we aren't good enough. England scored 800+ and Bangladesh also beat you," Akhtar said.

The Rawalpindi Express further highlighted the potential ramifications of the team's poor performance, raising concerns about Pakistan's Test status. He characterized the current state of affairs as "disheartening" and urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), led by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, to implement strict measures for the improvement of cricket in the country.

"Fans are saying that Pakistan should withdraw from WTC. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking 'should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive'. It's just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess," he said.

The disarray within Pakistan's cricketing ranks has been exacerbated by reports of groupism among players, primarily fueled by multiple individuals vying for the captaincy. Akhtar acknowledged that weak management and leadership only serve to perpetuate these issues.

"If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism. If the captain is selfish, there will be groupism. Same is the case if the coaches are afraid of the captain. The captain calls the shot when it comes to selection. This has been the culture since my playing days," he further explained.

Notably, it has been 1,331 days since Pakistan last celebrated a Test victory, with the team's last win coming in February 2021 against South Africa in Rawalpindi under Babar Azam's captaincy.