Mickey Arthur slams Pakistan's 'negative' approach in Test cricket

Mickey Arthur, who has been announced as the Pakistan team's director for a brief period of time, thinks that the national team needs a revamp, particularly in Test cricket.

Speaking to a foreign sports journalist, Arthur stated that the team couldn't hit the mark in the most extended cricket format when he was away.

"We got to stop playing a brand of cricket that's an attacking brand. A brand of cricket that takes the game on. A brand of cricket that allows our players to take the game on without any recriminations. We have got to allow them to take the game on without fear. We have got to put our opponents under pressure. I think Pakistan's test cricket in the last while has been very stale; it's been very vanilla. It hasn't aged. It's almost been a little bit negative -if that's the right word," Arthur said.

Moreover, the 54-year-old aims to take the team to new heights and set the world cricketing stage ablaze with their talent.

"I wanna take that away from them because of the talent they have - we can put the opposition under pressure if we fight to our ability. I will keep challenging those players to deliver on the world stage by showcasing their talent, by being brave, and really taking the game on," he further added.

Arthur coached Pakistan from 2016 to 2019, a window that included Pakistan's magnanimous Champions Trophy win in 2017.

Pakistan also enacted the top position in ICC T20i rankings during his tenure. However, Pakistan didn’t taste much success in Test cricket in his last tenure, and later, he was replaced by former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, as the team's head coach.