F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan head coach, Mickey Arthur, believes the young talent of the Pakistan cricket team must be groomed and given more opportunities to gain experience. Arthur was concerned about the young talented players of the national team, particularly the top order currently participating in the ongoing three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Given the amount of experience that Mickey has, he took to Twitter and dropped in some suggestions for Saim Ayub, Muhammad Haris, and Abdullah Shafique.
“Saim, Abdullah, and Haris have loads of talent, but finding out that International cricket brings different pressures and responsibilities to franchise cricket….groom them, give them time, and allow them opportunities to bat with experienced players, and they will come through,” he said as quoted by cricketpakistan.com.pk.
Afghanistan won the second T20I match against Pakistan and bagged the series for the very first time with a margin of 2-0 with one game remaining.
Meanwhile, Former Pakistani Skipper Shahid Afridi also reacted to Pakistan’s defeat in the T20 series. He took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the matter as the team suffered back-to-back losses against the Rashid Khan-led Afghan team in the T20 matches. He also congratulated the Afghan team on their victory, saying they played the best cricket. He specifically praised Rashid Khan, who was as brilliant, for his excellent performance throughout the series.
The 46-year-old also commended the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for giving opportunities to new players. However, he suggested that instead of benching senior players, they should have played alongside the young players. “Well played Afghanistan congrats on the win, and Rashid Khan you were amazing as always. Good move by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to believe in the upcoming talent but they should have been accompanied by senior players to transfer on-field experience and not sit on the bench,” he said.
Afghanistan has taken a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series. This was Afghanistan’s first-ever series win over Pakistan in any format. The third and final match of the series would be played today at the same venue. (APP)
