Arthur opens up about Babar Azam’s captaincy future and Australian tour

England sent Pakistan crashing out of the World Cup with a convincing 93-run win as Ben Stokes and David Willey helped their team end their miserable title defence on a high in Kolkata on Saturday.

Pakistan finished in fifth place in the 10-nation table while England are a further two places down, but still able to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

While speaking in the post-match press conference, Pakistan's team director, Mickey Arthur, voiced support for captain Babar Azam, emphasizing the importance of providing him with opportunities to learn from mistakes.

"We're a real tight-knit unit. I get behind Babar. He's very close to me. He's a young guy who is still learning. He's a very fine batsman, and he learns every day with his captaincy. He's growing, and we have to allow him the time to grow. In order to do that, you make mistakes. It's not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. As a group, we've made many mistakes, but if this group learns from them, we have the core of a very good side," Arthur said.

Arthur highlighted the need for consistent batting performances, setting a target of consistently scoring three hundred and fifty runs.

"What we've seen is that we're behind the 8-ball. Our game needs to go to another level. We missed Naseem Shah - if we get him back, our bowling attack is good. But batting-wise, we have to become a 330-350 team. The teams that do that consistently are the teams in the semi-finals. We do that when Fakhar Zaman comes off, but we can't be relying on one player," he added.

Looking forward, Arthur outlined the team's focus on planning for the upcoming Test series in Australia. He stressed the importance of consistency in various aspects, including team selection and overall performance.

Arthur expressed disappointment in the spin attack's failure, noting its crucial role in Pakistan's style of cricket.

"The failure of the spin attack is disappointing; spinners play a crucial role in our brand of cricket," Arthur concluded.