Pakistan cricket coach Mickey Arthur dismissed reports that there are rifts in the team and that he did not mean to criticise captain Sarfraz Ahmed over his choices during the first Test match against Australia.
Reports regarding Arthur being unhappy with Sarfraz’s decision of bowling Wahab Riaz on day five have been circulating online.
Further, there have been reports that the board was unhappy with Arthur’s post-match statement criticizing the captain’s reliance on senior players.
When asked, Arthur confirmed that he did have a discussion with cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja and Sarfraz after the match.
“I did have a debrief session with Sarfraz in which we discussed what went wrong in the match,” Arthur said.
“These session between coach and captain are not unusual and I did not mean to criticise Sarfraz on his choices,” he added.
He added, “It is the coach’s job to give suggestions and have the captain’s back in whatever decision he makes.”
He also reaffirmed his faith in Sarfraz’s captaincy, adding that he will fully support him.
The first Test between Pakistan and Australia ended in a draw in Dubai. The second Test will start from October 16 in Abu Dhabi.
