Former Pakistan international Yasir Arafat has been left unimpressed by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) recent hiring of foreign coaches.
PCB has decided to settle on an all-international coaching setup for the national side with Mickey Arthur set to return as a “consultant” joined by New Zealand’s Grant Bradburn, who is expected to inherit the title of Pakistan’s coach, while former South African international Morne Morkel is joining as the bowling coach.
Andrew Puttick has landed the batting coach gig while Physio Cliffe Deacon and strength and conditioning coach Drikus Saaiman will keep their roles.
Local coaches Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Rehman and Umar Gul will make way for the new guys, which does not sit right with Yasir Arafat.
I heard about the new coaching staff as it is all over the media now. Morne Morkel also doesn’t have much experience in coaching. In fact, he was playing in 2019 when I was working as a coach with Surrey,” Arafat was quoted as saying by GeoSuper.
The other two coaches, Puttick and Bradburn, are also not that experienced. As far as you talk about budget, so it’s the Pakistan team and not a local franchise. If you invest in it, only then you will get results, he added.
The former all-rounder seems to be of opinion that not being conversant with conditions in Pakistan could adversely affect the local talent in eyes of a foreign coaching staff.
Arafat was potentially seen as one of the people to join Arthur’s setup but that did not come to pass.
The 41-year-old has turned from a player to a coach in recent years and seems to be doing well for himself after becoming the first Pakistani cricketer to complete England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) level 4 coaching course.
