Mickey Arthur shares his views on Pakistan’s coaching dispute

Former Pakistan cricket team coach Mickey Arthur has reacted to the ongoing controversy surrounding Jason Gillespie and Aqib Javed.

Gillespie took cricket fans by surprise when he alleged that Aqib Javed undermined him during his tenure as the Pakistan cricket team coach and plotted to become a full-time coach

“This is hilarious. Aqib was clearly undermining Gary [Kirsten] and me behind the scenes, campaigning to be the coach in all formats. He is a clown,” Jason Gillespie wrote in a social media post.

While Aqib Javed, the current head coach of the Pakistan cricket team, remains tight-lipped about the controversy, former coach Mickey Arthur has backed the former Australia pacer in the coaching dispute.

“I love this quote, to be brutally honest. Jason Gillespie is a wonderful coach, a wonderful man. Pakistan cricket just continues to shoot itself in the foot. It is its own worst enemy. There are so many good players; they’ve got the resources now; there’s so much young talent,” Arthur said.

Read more: Jason Gillespie calls Aqib Javed a clown

The former coach lamented the chaotic conditions of the Pakistan cricket despite having skilled players and experienced coaches.

“I thought when they signed Gillespie and Kirsten, they had gone down exactly the right route, and they had some really good players. Because ultimately, it’s the players who lose out,” Mickey Arthur said.

Arthur was of the view that agendas were pushed along with media narratives to ensure the ouster of Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten.

“It’s a jungle out there, and I feel desperately sorry for Gary and Jason. There’s no doubt they were undermined, and ultimately, it’s the players—and Pakistan cricket as a whole—who suffer,” Mickey Arthur said.