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Pakistan‘s journey in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 have been nothing short of a roller coaster ride with more downs than ups. Despite winning their initial two clashes, the Green Team have lost four consecutive fixtures, eventually reaching on the brink of elimination from the ongoing cricketing event.
The Babar Azam-led side’s underwhelming performance left many fans and experts baffled and frustrated. One prominent voice that emerged in the aftermath of this debacle is that of Salman Butt, the former cricketer, who has slammed the Pakistan cricket team’s director Mickey Arthur for his role in the team.
It is worth noting that Arthur has previously served as the Pakistan’s head coach from 2016 to 2019, and this is his second stint with the 1992 ODI World Cup champions.
Salman Butt’s critical remarks on Mickey Arthur
Butt strongly believes that Arthur should not have any involvement with the national team. The former left-handed batter highlighted an incident from Arthur’s previous tenure as Pakistan’s head coach when he pushed for certain batters to enhance their strike rates in Test cricket. According to Butt, this approach led to a situation where the Pakistani team began losing Test matches within just three days.
“When Mickey Arthur was Pakistan’s coach earlier, he used to say that some of our batters play with a very slow strike rate in Tests. Our team used to lose a Test match in three days during that period. I still can’t understand how he is the coach of Pakistan,” Butt said in a YouTube video.
Also READ: Qualification scenarios for all 10 teams to secure semifinal spot in the ODI World Cup 2023
‘He is a weird character’: Salman Butt
Butt also criticized Arthur for his comments during the post-match press conference following Pakistan’s seven-wicket defeat against India on October 14.
“Do you think he has any other role? He complains about how ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ wasn’t played in the stadium or says that it’s a BCCI event. He is a weird character,” the 39-year-old added.
