Mickey Arthur declined an offer from the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) to return as head coach of the national team, forcing the board to continue searching for a replacement for incumbent Saqlain Mushtaq.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is in talks with Arthur on Tuesday about a new tenure as head coach, but the South African won’t be able to take on the role anytime soon as he has a long-term contract with Derbyshire.
“We have also discussed with Derbyshire the proposal to advise PCB on a timeshare basis under a long-term contract with Derbyshire,” PCB said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, this option has proven difficult for both sides for a variety of reasons.In light of the circumstances, PCB continues to search for a suitable person for the post of head coach of the national team, and many A top name is already being considered…to the unreliable environment of Pakistani cricket he has experienced in the past.
“The truth is when the PCB Chairman, Najam Sethi, opened talks with him and told him to rejoin as the head coach, Arthur said while he would very much like to work in Pakistan cricket again he had not had pleasant experiences in the past with the board,” the source said.
“Arthur told Sethi that the PCB management led by Ehsan Mani during the World Cup in 2019 had assured him his contract would be extended. But after Pakistan didn’t make the semifinals despite winning four matches on a trot his contract was not honoured.
“Secondly, Arthur also had apprehensions that even if he ended his long-term contract with Derbyshire with mutual agreement and decided to come to Pakistan, there was no guarantee his contract would be honoured given the environment in Pakistan cricket.”
The source said Arthur had told Sethi he would, however, be willing to work as a consultant with the Pakistan board and also frequently visit the country.
“But eventually this consultancy arrangement didn’t suit the PCB so talks fell through and Mickey is not going to be involved with Pakistan cricket.”
Arthur was brought in as head coach in 2016 when Sethi was in the board and worked until 2019 when his contract was not extended by the management headed by Mani.
According to another credible source, the current head coach Mushtaq and bowling coach Sean Tate, as well as an interim selection committee headed by Shahid Afridi, have signed/tenured for a third time with New Zealand. will end on Friday after the ODI.
“As Pakistan currently has no international commitments until April, Sethi now has two months to finalize the new team management and selection committee for the Pakistan team.” It has been decided that a foreign coach will be appointed to the national team.