Pakistan are set to become a trailblazer for how cricket coaching is carried out, as they are set to appoint the world’s first-ever online head coach. The Men in Green are going to all possible extremes to ensure that they can lure Mickey Arthur back to the top job.
Arthur is a much-loved person in Pakistan as he was in charge of the Sarfaraz Khan-led team that won the 2017 Champions Trophy. The return of Najam Sethi to the helm of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has led to a strong interest in seeing the South African-born coach return.
However, it has so far proven impossible, as Arthur is currently employed by Derbyshire as their head of cricket. Arthur left his position as head coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team in 2021 to join the English county on a contract that runs until 2025. However, Pakistan seems to have found a creative solution to bring Arthur back into the fold.
According to various reports in Pakistani media, the PCB is set to name Arthur as the world’s first-ever online head coach. The arrangement will see Arthur available for players in an online mode while a team of assistants oversees the team’s progress on the ground in the head coach’s absence. Arthur has reportedly assured the board that he will join the team for their campaign in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
Legendary spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is the current head coach of the team, but his contract is set to end soon. Mushtaq had taken over the role just ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup after Misbah Al Haq and Waqar Younis’ resignations following Ramiz Raja’s appointment as PCB chairman.
During their 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup campaigns, Matthew Hayden joined the team as a batting consultant.
