'He's almost thrown Misbah under the bus there' - Mickey Arthur lashes out at Waqar Younis for excluding Mohammad Abbas

Former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur isn't buying Waqar's defense one bit.

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Mickey Arthur
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Mickey Arthur. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Pakistan’s tour of Australia is getting worse by the minute. The misery has extended well into the Test series and has even more compounded with some of the team selections that the head-coach cum-chief selector of the national side has made for the Gabba Test.

Pakistan’s idea of playing 32-year-old Imran Khan Junior, on the back of his five-wicket haul in the practice match, ahead of their premier paceman Mohammad Abbas in the opening Test of the two-match series has attracted sharp criticism from both fans and former cricketers from Australia and Pakistan.

Imran Khan (1/73) failed to emulate his practice game performance as Australia, riding on the back of a 154 by David Warner and maiden Test match century from Marnus Labuschagne, compiled a mammoth 580 in 157.4 over before reducing the tourists to 3/64 in their second essay to take total control of the first Test.

In the post-day press conference, Waqar Younis, Pakistan bowling coach, defended Imran’s selection while also alluding that the selection was strictly the decision of the chief selector and that he had no role to play in it.

“It’s a decision that depends on the head coach and the selectors on who’ll play and who won’t. But it would be an injustice against Imran Khan to say that his selection was unjustified. His performance in first-class cricket has been great and so too in the warm-up game in Perth. He was bowling well. But unfortunately, he couldn’t do the same here.” Waqar said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Mickey Arthur isn’t impressed with Waqar’s statement

Former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur isn’t buying Waqar’s defense one bit. The former head coach said it was a complete selection while also expressing bewilderment at Younis’ claims that he had no role in the selection call. According to Arthur, Waqar had thrown Head coach + selector Misbah-ul-Haq “under the bus”, something that would have been seriously ‘annoyed’ at, had it happened under his watch.

“I find that absolutely absurd. First and foremost, Mohammad Abbas had to be playing in this Test match. Secondly, I can’t believe that Misbah didn’t talk to his bowling coach before he made the decision. He’s almost thrown Misbah under the bus there.”

“If I was head coach and one of my staff said that in a presser, I’d be seriously annoyed with him. It was a wrong decision. I can’t believe that he wouldn’t have had a say in that selection. Once you select a player, the team and support staff are united and everyone takes equal responsibility for the side that goes out”. Mickey Arthur, said as quoted by PakPassion.net.

Meanwhile, Waqar Younis had admitted that Mohammad Abbas is in serious contention for the second Test and we might see him turn up in what will be a day-night encounter at the Adelaide Oval.

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