Arthur’s leadership behind Pakistan’s success: David Lloyd

Former England cricketer David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, who featured in nine Test matches and eight ODIs for The Three Lions, has hailed Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur’s role in the grooming and development of the Pakistan side.

"I think the Pakistan side is very well led. At the management level, the head coach [Arthur] has a lot of integrity and he understands that these are players and not machines as they can have good and bad days," he said. "What you need to instill into the leaders of the team is that you will have more good than bad days."

Pakistan drew the two-Test series against England 1-1 with the visitors capitulating in the second Test. Yet despite the dismal showing at Leeds, middle-order batsman Asad Shafiq did enough to impress Lloyd.

"At the Lord’s game, Michael Atherton was really impressed with Asad Shafiq and said that this bloke can bat, and I agree with him and think that he is a nice and compact player," said Lloyd in an interview with PakPassion.net.

The former England all-rounder was optimistic about leg-spinner Shadab Khan’s future and was keen to see him develop further as a batsman, while also working on his bowling variety. 

"I think in the future he [Shadab] will make himself into an established number 6 batsman and his bowling will also improve as he will pick up all the tricks of the trade," he said. "He bowls with a decent pace and he’s got a leg-spinner which he spins well; but he needs to work on his googly and flipper."

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has been captaining Pakistan in all three formats but Lloyd believes that being a wicketkeeper-batsman, his job is extremely strenuous as he too much to do during a match.

"As is, being a wicketkeeper is such a tough job where you have to be down and up all day, every day. I always think that a wicketkeeper will make a good vice-captain," he said.

He added: "He is in line with the bowler and tells you which bowler is bowling well and who is on song at that moment and so on. But to make all those decisions themselves as a captain is tough and this is why I am not a great fan of wicketkeepers as captains as I feel that there is too much for him to think about during the day’s play."

When asked about the prospects of his future involvement in Pakistan cricket, Lloyd said that he would be interested in doing a commentary stint for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and would love to pay Pakistan a visit.

"I have been chatting to Wasim Akram about whether there is an opportunity for a commentary stint in the PSL because I will have a go," he said. "I told him ‘I don’t mind going to Pakistan’. I'd love to go back to Pakistan to places like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and I am fine with that and not bothered about it as Pakistan is a great place."

Talking about pacer Mohammad Amir, Lloyd said that Pakistan need to use him carefully and give him adequate rest by using the football model.

"He [Amir] is undoubtedly a quality bowler but with three other bowlers in the team, he needs to be given a rest as well," he said. "Let me explain in football terms, where the manager benches his player without any reason apart from the fact that he just wants him to be fresh for the next game. This is what we are also learning to do in cricket as well.”

He added: “Your real workhorses are your fast-bowlers. I say that without any disrespect to the batsmen who are basically there to just bat; but the real hard work is only in fast-bowling."