Mickey Arthur cracks the whip on unfit players

In spite of being the coach of the Pakistan team for slightly over a couple of months, Mickey Arthur has already begun to crack the whip. Through all the frivolous boot camps and fitness camps Arthur has hosted over the last month, only a handful of Pakistan players have managed to survive.

These camps have also seen many a player dropped from the side with either strain, injuries, or perhaps even fitness related issues. Umar Akmal, Mohammad Sami, and Yasir Arafat are among those who have been ruled out due to the same. A source close to the Pakistan team has shed some light on the Mohammad Irfan’s situation.

The lanky pacer managed to bowl just the 5 overs in the ODI match against England at Leeds. PTI quoted a source saying that Irfan and Arthur were both frustrated by the ordeal. “Irfan is not happy at all with the way the head coach insisted that he return to Pakistan after he limped off the field during the fourth ODI in England with a hamstring strain,”

The source went on to illustrate that his fitness report was communicated to Mickey Arthur from Lahore. “Irfan claimed that he told the head coach that he was fit but was still told to return to Lahore and report at the national cricket academy and be 100 per cent fit for the series against the West Indies,” the source disclosed.

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“Irfan is unhappy because he feels that the coach did not take his word and trusted him on his fitness,” the source said. Millions of viewers saw Arthur getting angry and upset when Irfan came off the field with a hamstring or calf strain after bowling just five overs.

The source went on to add that Arthur did not want veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez to remain with the team. “The head coach also didn’t support a move to allow Muhammad Hafeez to remain with the team after he was ruled out of the second ODI with a fitness issue,” the source said.

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