Spin legend Abdul Qadir doesn’t want South African Mickey Arthur to continue as Pakistan’s head coach, saying it’s time others should be given a chance to take the national team forward.
Qadir said he differs with former captain Wasim Akram’s viewthat Arthur should be given a fresh contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB).
“I know Wasim Akram has told the Board (PCB) that theyshould give another contract to Arthur but to me this is like doing injusticewith others. Others too need to be given a chance to take the national teamforward,” Qadir said in an interview.
The former chief selector said if Akram had so much concernabout Pakistan cricket than he should become the bowling coach of the nationalteam.
Akram is one of the members of the PCB’s cricket committeewhich will meet on August 2 to review the national team’s performance in thelast three years and prepare recommendations for future.
“To me Mickey Arthur has contributed nothing to thePakistan team. In fact, he has damaged it with his clear bias towards someplayers including Sohail Khan, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, ImranKhan who could have done a lot for the Pakistan team with theirexperience,” Qadir said.
“No one thought how much investment has already beenmade in these players and how much it would hurt Pakistan cricket by sideliningthem at their peak.”
Qadir said Arthur used the excuses of fitness, disciplineand attitude to keep the deserving players out.
“We have spent millions of rupees on his fees andexpenses and got nothing in return. He didn’t even want Wahab Riaz in the teamand sidelined him for two years but was forced to eat humble pie and accept himfor the World Cup at the last moment,” he said.
Qadir said he didn’t see any sense in having a head coach inthe team, and instead preferred specialist coaches in batting, bowling andfielding departments.
The out spoken leg-spinner, who played 67 Tests and 104ODIs, said whatever decision the PCB takes now it must be made keeping in mindthe next four years not just next year’s World T20.
Qadir backed Sarfaraz Ahmed to continue as captainparticularly in the limited over formats.
“I think he has done enough and shown he is a fighterto be given an extended run at the captaincy.”Arthur, former chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq andSarfaraz have all been called for the cricket committee meeting to makepresentations on the team’s performances in the last three years.