Former Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur has spoken candidly about his time with the national team, highlighting the challenges faced during the ODI World Cup, particularly the match against India in Ahmedabad. This game, according to Arthur, was one of the most testing experiences of his tenure due to the tense atmosphere.
Arthur's leadership concluded after Pakistan's World Cup journey ended without a semifinal berth, leading to his replacement by former all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez. The World Cup campaign for Pakistan was not without its struggles, marked by controversies including alleged internal disputes within the team and leaked private conversations involving then-skipper Babar Azam.
"It was extremely tough not having any Pakistan support. The one thing that really drives the Pakistan team is the incredible support they receive at grounds and hotels. Here we never had that, and that was quite tough in a World Cup, particularly for the players," Arthur was quoted as saying by the Wisden.
"As you can imagine it was a tough, hostile environment in Ahmedabad. But we were expecting this, and to their credit our players never moaned or complained once. They cracked on and tried their best - nevertheless it ultimately does play a role in motivation when you can't see or hear that support base around you," he added.
Despite these challenges, Arthur maintains that these external issues did not significantly affect the team's performance or spirit.
"The outside noise with Pakistan is incredible, you just have to check your Twitter feed to see so many fires that are ignited out there, that have absolutely no truth attached to them. You end up - and I found this out the first time - you're just constantly extinguishing those fires and chasing your tail. What we knew within our team was our game plan, and the defined roles that the players had, and we cracked on with it. There were unequivocally no massive disagreements with the players," Arthur added.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Another setback for Team India pacer as quadriceps injury forces him out of ongoing Ranji Trophy match
India announce squad for 1st two Tests against England as 22-year-old gets maiden call up; Ishan Kishan still out
