Mickey Arthur Named Pakistan Coach, To Succeed Waqar Younis
Mickey Arthur will be Pakistan's new cricket coach. He will succeed Waqar Younis who resigned after the ICC T20 World Cup
Highlights
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Mickey Arthur will be Pakistan's new cricket coach
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Mickey Arthur will replace Waqar Younis
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Mickey Arthur has coached South Africa and Australia before
Mickey Arthur has been appointed as head coach of Pakistan cricket team. This was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday. Arthur will succeed former Pakistan speedster Waqar Younis, who resigned after the ICC T20 World Cup in April.
Arthur has coached South Africa from 2005-2010 and Australia from 2011-13. Pakistan will be his third national assignment. He is expected to start work by May-end.
Arthur was picked by a panel consisting of former captains Wasim Akram, Rameez Raja and Faisal Mirza. The panel recommended four names, the PCB said. Australians Stuart Law and Dean Jones and England's Peter Moores were reportedly among the four.
"Following detailed consultations on this matter at the last Board of Governors' meeting and further telephone consultations by the PCB Chairman with BOG members, discussions with Mickey Arthur were initiated and he has confirmed his acceptance of the post of Head Coach of the Pakistan National Cricket team," a PCB statement said.
Toughest jobs in international cricket
Coaching Pakistan, traditionally a fractious bunch of talented individuals, is one of the toughest jobs in international cricket and Waqar stepped down last month after the team's poor World Twenty20 display in India.
Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was also appointed as new chief selector in April.
The 47-year-old Arthur coached his native South Africa from 2005-10 and also led Australia for two years from 2011.
Pakistan rose to number two in the Test rankings last year after series wins in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and by beating England in the United Arab Emirates in November.
However, they started 2016 with defeats in the 50-over and T20 series in New Zealand and went out of the World T20 on the back of three group stage defeats.
Those results prompted former fast bowler Waqar to resign and also saw all-rounder Shahid Afridi lose the T20 captaincy. The selection committee was also dissolved by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
(With inputs from Reuters)