LAHORE, Feb 08 (APP):Pakistan cricket team’s head coach, Mickey Arthur expressed his disappointment over team’s defeats in test, one day and T20 series during the South Africa tour and said instead fixing its responsibility on anyone, everyone is responsible for the loses.”We all are responsible for teams failure in the South African tour and no one should be held responsible for that,” he told media men at a news conference here on Friday at the Gadaffi stadium after the return of the team from a dismal tour of South Africa.
“We need to bring improvement in our test squad and to perform well on tough conditions which were challenging in South Africa,” he added.
“No South Asian team has so far won test series against South Africa and the tour of South Africa is always difficult and tough for every Asian team and unfortunately Pakistan team suffered loses in all three formats of the game despite putting up good fight,” he added.
Pak team official while analyzing the performance of the team in the test matches said apart from three players of the team which played the test matches, rest were the newcomers and were visiting the South Africa for the first time.
“Still I give credit to the South African team for showing good performance in the tour which was a way of learning for our players,” he said adding, “Despite our defeats in the tour the positive aspect is that our players have improved a lot in their respective departments of the game which was witnessed in the one day series and T20 matches.”
The teams head coach mentioned that Pak players exhibited good performance against deadly attack of South Africa and the entire tour was a big learning for the team which is leaning and improving with each passing day as a part of its preparations for the World Cup being played this summer in England.
He defended Sarfraz Ahmad in the role of captain and wicket keeper, saying, Sarfraz’s main responsibility is keeping which he is doing well and he dropped eight balls behind the stumps during the past four month. “Sarfraz has been appointed captain without any doubt in the mind,” he added.
“As a player Safraz is well aware of the fact of good or a bad patch and he is doing his best to lift his performance to rise to the occasion and I have no reservation on his performance. The more you practice and hard work you can bat on any number to inspire the team to success and he (Safraz) has batted in top and down batting order to motivate the team,” said Mickey Arthur.
“We design teams batting order in a particular match according to the match and playing conditions and we know that Sarfraz can bat at any number in the batting order,” he asserted.
To a question, he said, Sarfraz remarks to a South African player were inappropriate and the matter is now over for once and all.
“It was a good decision on part of PCB to support Sarfraz and as a head coach I was fully aware that Safraz is being sent home after ICC decision.”
Answering another question, team’s head coach said pace bowler, Muhammad Amir is seasoned bowler who has accuracy and command in bowling and he bowls well in pressure situations.
Mickey Arthur said the Pakistan team for the World Cup will be picked from a pool of almost twenty players. To a question he and the chief selector, Inzamam ul Haq are on one page for bringing improvement in teams performance.
“Pakistan Super League is an ideal platform to identify new talent and we will continue getting talent from it,” said team official.
He said he is ready to continue as head coach of the team after completion of his contract till the World Cup and he has always endeavored to create ideal atmosphere in the dressing room.
“The atmosphere of the dressing room is build on trust and what ever is happening in it (dressing room) should not go out to public as it brings negative impact on certain matters,” he said adding, “When ever we lose a match every player seems broken due to the defeat.”
Answering a question he said Pak one day team need a hard hitter to put pressure on opponents in crunch situation.
He expressed the hope that veteran batsmen, Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Hafeez will be benefiting the team from their experience in the World Cup to keep opponents under pressure.
“Our bowling will be our main weapon the World Cup and we will effort to add more fire in our pace battery by working on our bowlers.” He termed Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq “best players” of the team.