Pakistan's team director Mickey Arthur on Saturday rallied behind skipper Babar Azam following the World Cup’s debacle against England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
Arthur faced the music, ready to confront the consequences of finishing fifth in the 10-nation table for the second successive tournament.
The 2019 World Cup had seen the conclusion of Arthur's first spell as head coach, and despite his return as team director, the outcome remained unchanged with four wins and five losses, including a surprising defeat to Afghanistan.
Speaking about his future plans, Arthur mentioned, "I'll just go back to the Peak District in Derbyshire; I'll be really happy, and that'll be okay." He defended his dual role with Derbyshire and Pakistan, which was criticised by some former players as "coaching on Zoom."
Acknowledging Pakistan's inconsistent performance, Arthur admitted, "We finished fifth, and fifth is where we deserve to finish with the cricket that we've played over the last six weeks." He emphasised that inconsistency does not lead to success but added, "I came in to do this directive job because I care a hell of a lot for that dressing room. Pakistan cricket is very close to my heart."
With Pakistan out of the semi-final race, Arthur expressed confidence in under-fire skipper Babar Azam, stating, "Babar is very, very close to me. He's a young guy that needs to be taken on the journey. He needs to be shown the ropes. He's still learning all the time and is growing."
Highlighting key bowler Naseem Shah's injury on the eve of the World Cup, Arthur noted, "I think we missed Naseem Shah. But if you get Naseem Shah, our bowling attack's good."
Runs proved hard to come by for Pakistan's batsmen, with none making it into the top 10 run scorers at the tournament. Arthur emphasised the need for improvement, stating, "Batting-wise, we have to become a 330-350 team. I don't think we've done that consistently enough."
Looking ahead, Arthur revealed plans for the upcoming three-test tour of Australia, acknowledging Pakistan's historical struggles down under. "Our game needs to go to another level. We do that when Fakhar Zaman comes off, and we can't just be relying on one-on-one players," he concluded.
