I think Pakistan cricket is in a very disappointing place: Mickey Arthur

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Former Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur has opened up about his abrupt removal from the position and shared his concerns about the current state of Pakistan cricket. 

In a recent interview with ESPNCricinfo, Arthur revealed the shocking nature of his dismissal and shed light on the issues plaguing the cricketing structure in the country.

The 55-year-old recounted the events leading to his removal, citing a review meeting after the World Cup where the team management presented their findings. 

To his surprise, he was summoned separately by then Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf, who informed him of the decision to remove the entire support staff and the captain. 

"At the end of the World Cup we went back to Lahore. We had planned the whole Australian tour, so much so that we had thought about teams and combinations. We arrived in Pakistan and there was silence initially," Arthur said.

"And then Zaka wanted a review meeting of the World Cup. We went to that, I did a presentation, Rehan ul Haq, [team manager] did a presentation. Grant Bradburn, [head coach] spoke, the whole management team was in this meeting.

"There was a recess and we were starting a camp two days later. I was still on the balcony organising with Usman Wahla what our logistics were going to be. And I wondered why there was such a break in this review. And then I got a little whisper in my ear that Zaka wanted to see me in a separate office in the museum at the HPC [High Performance Centre]. I went in, he asked me a whole lot of questions and then he said, 'look, we're going to remove the whole support staff and captain, basically, and that was it," he added.

The former director highlighted the contractual aspect of his termination, emphasizing that he had included a three-month termination settlement clause to ensure fairness. 

He criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) promise of reassignment as impossible due to the signed contracts of the coaching staff.

"The whole review was just a charade," Arthur says. "I would have had a bit more respect for Zaka if he'd said it straight out. The way I realised the whole thing was a charade was Mohammad Hafeez was already sitting at the PCB offices and that's why Zaka got into trouble because our meeting went on and on and on," he said.

"I was savvy enough in my contract negotiation to put in a clause that there was a three-month termination settlement, not a one-month settlement. We weren't going to resign because the minute you resign, you walk out and that's it. For all the efforts we put in, the coaches and I deserved the three-month settlement," he added.

"The PCB said we would be reassigned, but that was impossible. You can't reassign people who have signed contracts. You can't just reassign the team director, head coach and batting coach of the national team. That was a charade to get rid of us," he maintained.

Expressing his passion for Pakistan cricket, Arthur conveyed his disappointment with the current state of affairs. He pointed out the abundant talent within the team but lamented the lack of proper support structures. 

"To be brutally honest, I think Pakistan cricket is in a very disappointing place. There's a massive amount of talent there, There are some world-class players, not just talented players. They're not given the support structure that they need to flourish," Arthur said.

"The one thing we had in 2019 and from the time we won the [2017] Champions Trophy to the end of it was an environment where the players were pushed. There was a lot demanded of them, but I backed every one of those boys 100%. So then they went out and played for the team instead of playing for them themselves.

"When there's security within the environment, Pakistan is very good. When there's that insecurity, players start playing for themselves instead of the team because they're thinking of the next tour, and the next contract. That's a dangerous place to be in, and that's kind of where Pakistan cricket is now. And that's something that's very disappointing and sad for me," he concluded.