Arafat also further talked about his first meeting with former Pakistan coach
26 March, 2023
PHOTO: AFP
Yasir Arafat, a former all-rounder, shed light on the possibility of working in a coaching setup under Mickey Arthur for Pakistan in future.
According to media reports, after discussions between PCB and Mickey Arthur, who is set to be appointed the Pakistan team’s director, it was decided that Arafat would also serves as the head coach in Arthur’s absence.
It must be noted that reports further added that despite assuming the team’s director position, Arthur will not be with the team during international series that will take place during the English county season, as he will continue to work as the full-time coach for Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
In a recent interview with Cricket Pakistan, Yasir cleared all the speculation and said that Arthur contacted him to be part of his coaching panel.
"Mickey contacted me and wanted me to be part of his coaching team that he aspires to make - as a bowling coach. As far as head coach role is concerned, I am not aware of that because I don't think I am experienced enough in that regard; however, yes, I think the media is only talking about this in the air, which doesn't stand true," Arafat said.
"Online coaching was a misconception, which was cleared off eventually. Mickey will primarily work as a director, in which he will oversee the coaching matters along with his team that will work pre and post-match on grounds. He will curate strategies that will have to be implemented. Mickey most probably will miss out on two series - one against New Zealand and the other one against Sri Lanka happening in July. After that, he will join us for the World Cup preparations," he added.
Yasir also further talked about his first meeting with Mickey Arthur.
"I haven't met Mickey as of yet, but he reminded me that when I was playing Big Bash in Australia, he was also staying there for commentary purposes. He jogged my memory that, yes, we had met there for hardly 8 to 10 minutes. But what I believe is that he reached out to me via that tweet that I posted about my level 4 coaching, and he might have thought that I could be a good pick for his coaching team, given the fact that I am Pakistani - as that makes things rather easier," he said.
Upon being asked about young pacers like Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf, the former all-rounder had his justified share of opinion in which he accentuated the importance of workload management, particularly when it comes to pacers.
"Looking after your players and managing their workload is extremely important, and that's the duty of the regulating authorities. However, it always takes two to tango. Players also need to be responsible, especially when they are counted as the premium fast bowlers of Pakistan. They should ignore leagues, take a break, and develop new skills and that only can happen during the off season. PCB and players both need to step in and concentrate on workload management. From minor niggles to major rehabs, everything is manageable with the use of the right amount of brains," Arafat concluded.
