Pak vs Eng: Mickey Arthur blames inconsistency, media-driven agendas for Multan defeat

KARACHI: Former Pakistan cricket team coach Mickey Arthur has blamed inconsistency and uncertainty around team selection, environment and administration for the Green Shirts' humiliating defeat in the first Multan Test.

Taking to social media platform X, Arthur wrote: "The inconsistency around selection, environment, and administration plays a role in team morale, give the players structure, and they will perform."

His remarks come against the backdrop of the Shan Masood-led side's baffling defeat against England where the latter secured innings and 47-run victory on the fifth day of the first Test in Multan.

During the match, despite scoring 556 runs in the first innings, the national side found themselves under the gun trailing England by 115 runs at the end of the fourth day and subsequently crumbled under pressure on the final day.

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," said ex-coach.

He also pointed out the harmful role of media-driven narratives, describing how the media’s negative rhetoric can hurt the team noting that the "vile rhetoric from media and media-driven agendas do not help".

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.

The former coach emphasised that representing Pakistan should be the highlight of a player’s career.

"Playing for Pakistan should be the best time ever!" he remarked.