Raja applauds PCB’s decision after Arthur out as head coach

Pakistan former captain turned cricket commentator Ramiz Raja has applauded the Pakistan Cricket Board over its decision to axe head coach Mickey Arthur and the rest of coaching staff, terming it a ‘strong decision’ by the board.

“This is a right decision, because in my view except for relationships everything has a shelf life, and in cricket three years is enough to judge a captain and a coach…. Meanwhile, the players also get weary under a captain and a think tank, they also need freshness of ideas and decision making,” said Raja, in a video statement.

Raja however appreciated Mickey Arthur and his team for their hard work, and the inclusion of young players in the team. “However, the problem was that their collective effort to change the direction of Pakistan team especially in Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODI) was not correct.”

The former captain also criticizes the cricketing structure for not producing cricketing superstars at First Class level.

Head coach Mickey Arthur and the rest of the coaching staff were axed by the cricketing board on Wednesday, following Pakistan cricket team failure to reach the semifinals of the ICC World Cup 2019.

“PCB will be immediately undertaking a robust recruitment process after it decided not to renew the contracts of head coach Arthur, bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, batting coach Grant Flower and trainer Grant Luden,” the board said in a statement.