Mickey Arthur wants struggling Asad Shafiq to get ‘monkey off his back’

Former Pakistan Head Coach Mickey Arthur hopes that middle-order batsman Asad Shafiq can get the monkey off his back and come good in the third and final Test of the ongoing series against England. 

Shafiq has failed to impress in the three innings that he has played so far, with scores of 7, 29 and 5 against his name. 

“I think he has done okay. I’m an Asad Shafiq fan and I have seen enough of him to know that a guy who has scored a lot of hundreds, batting at number six, is still vital to Pakistan’s engine room,” said Arthur while talking to Sports Presenter Zainab Abbas.

“He is pushing at a lot of balls outside his off stump and opposing teams are now targeting that area and if he can sort that out, he will be fine,” he added.

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Arthur also hopes that Shafiq can perform like he did on his previous tours of England.  

“On his last couple of tours of England, Asad Shafiq has always played one or two innings of note….Whenever he goes out to bat, I keep hoping that this is the innings where he finally gets all the press and gets the monkey off his back and kind of delivers,” he concluded.  

Pakistan will face England in the third and final Test at Southampton starting on Friday as they look to level the series. England won the first Test by three wickets while the second Test ended in a draw.