Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raza has heavily criticized PCB for appointing Mickey Arthur as the director of the men’s team. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed his appointment on Thursday, April 20, and said that he will have a major role with the team at the World Cup in India later this year.
However, Ramiz Raja questioned the director’s loyalty and focus as Arthur will not be traveling with the team because of his commitments at the Derbyshire County Club where he has a contract till 2025. The 60-year-old has told Cricbuzz “first of its kind coach/director of cricket picked to run Pakistan cricket remotely, whose loyalty is first with his county job than Pakistan cricket. This is as crazy as a clown in a village circus.”
Raza accused the PCB chairman of not understanding the game of cricket as he continued “A PCB chairman who doesn't understand cricket, probably was not even good enough to make it to the XI in a club game, heads a cabal of political, petty-minded club runners for a management committee to run Pakistan cricket affairs, who are on a Rs 12 lakhs a month salary.”
The PCB has confirmed that the South African Director will be involved in the strategy-making process but will not travel to all assignments as he will continue his duties with Derbyshire. The County Club chief Ryan Ducket has assured that Mikey’s main focus will remain Derbyshire County Club. This is Mickey Arthur’s second stint with PCB after 2016-2019 where he guided the side to the No 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings and a Champions Trophy win.