Mickey Arthur and Pakistan’s never-ending tales of woe

‘Cannot watch when Pakistan is batting,’ Mickey Arthur quips. He has never had this problem before. He has also coached some of the biggest teams in the world. Australia and a South African side under transition, Mick have seen it all. An establishment man, in every sense of the term, Arthur is from a long line of gritty Johannesburg folks who have lived through the recent malaise of ‘depression’.

However, the Pakistan assignment is proving to be perhaps the most testing. As far as he is concerned, at least. Of course, there is the odd factor of not playing in front of Pakistan crowds. Maybe even in Pakistan (although that is beginning to change). He is flanked by Steve Rixon and Azhar Mahmood. The trio crouch upon their oddly-shaped seats in the haven of the Pavilion. They watch, as disaster begins to unfold in Headingley.

Mickey Arthur however, cannot contain himself. His face turns into somewhat of an Osram. Of course, many had seen his head sink into his hands time and again. Even when Pakistan was on the ascendency.

In Lord’s Arthur’s gloom was lifted time and again. This time around, there wouldn’t be much sunshine. There would be no smiling and no chuckling. After Stuart Broad delivers the first ball of the second Test, Mickey Arthur will have absolutely no reason to smile.

A collapse more than apparent

The Branderson partnership has worked well for the Brits before. It is something Joe Root has inherited as well. And he isn’t afraid to unleash it as well. But, instead of handing the ball to Anderson, Broad junior is given the red cherry. Alastair Cook, in the slips, is visibly opposed to the idea.

Broad runs in. He has a plan. The Headingley wicket, as it always has done, offers a hint of swing. Thereby rendering the likes of Mohammad Amir and James Anderson quite obsolete. Their plans at the very least. Broad begins targeting the line just outside the off-stump and Imam-ul-Haq is in a fix.

Imam, unlike his uncle Inzamam plays with somewhat of a straight bat. Broad prods at Imam with the off-stump line. He pitches a few deliveries up, but Imam isn’t one to fall into a trap. Not just yet, at least. The final delivery of Broad’s over begins. He runs in, as he has done a billion times previous. He pitches this one up and Imam finally acquiesces. And Joe Root claims yet another catch at third slip.

Mick exercises surprising calm. He is unmoved. Asad Shafiq takes his place in the hot seat a few inches away from his coach. Shafiq is a calm character. Perhaps the distance is not really a telling one, but it would seem as though his calmness is rubbing off on his coach.

‘As long as Azhar is there, we should be fine,’ Arthur thinks to himself. A believer in youth, Mick has, on his roster a bevvy of youngsters, for much international cricket is a new experience on the rollercoaster.

The Branderson partnership, however, is far from over. This time around, Azhar is on their list. Once again, Broad decides to over-pitch the odd delivery. And Azhar falls prey. Un-noticed to both Mahmood and  Rixon, the ‘management’ has gone into a state of minute shock. Arthur’s head has finally gone into his hands. The England camp takes a quick look at Trevor Bayliss. His expression is as cold as ever.

A few blokes in the navy blue caps take a quick glance towards the Pakistan terrace. The game was won right there.

Shadab lifts the mood a wee bit

As lunch looms, Salahuddin and skipper, Sarfraz make their way off. Broad has done what Root wanted and now they were sitting pretty, en route to a series-leveller. Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq are back in the pavilion following their tales of woe.

A few short minutes following the lunch interval, Sarfraz is castled by a peach from Jimmy Anderson. The latter has been at it all morning and finally seemed to have gotten his due. The Osram is quite clear as Mick begins to turn red. This is not with embarrassment but in anger.

Hailing from the nasty Transvaal Province of Johannesburg, Arthur is the epitome of toughness. And he isn’t afraid to unleash it on someone he sets his sights on. This is something that has happened several times. And publicly as well.

The 50-year old South African sat up on his seat when 19-year old SHadab Khan made his way to bat. The 19-year old was a subtle reminder of Steve Smith 10 years ago. He hoicked and whacked and even rammed the ball at times, giving debutant Sam Curran and youngster Dom Bess a run for their money.

It was a glimmer of hope. Some resurgence. Renaissance of sorts. But the same Curran he had dispatched time and again would be his undoing. Sam Curran’s first Test wicket (before his birthday) couldn’t have been sweeter. Hasan Ali held out for a short while before Chris Woakes cleaned him up as well.

Mohammad Amir misses his line

Arthur’s Osram would show up yet again over the course of the next few days each time something happened. Of course, there had been a lot of harsh talk in and around the dressing room, but none more so than Mohammad Amir.

It took the divine intervention of Wasim Akram to point out the problems with Amir. The latter makes a futile effort to get the ball to swing. It does not work as Cook brandishes him to the fence. The southpaw has only one thing to prove to the England selectors – he is the best batsman within the British Isles.

It takes another divine intervention, this time from the duo of Faheem and Shadab who had no choice but to bring an end to the England innings. Pakistan’s second innings is a disaster. Something beyond belief and prompts the management to head back to the drawing board. This time, unlike Imam-ul-Haq’s selection, it is far from a joke.  

A reflection; Mick vents

It has taken less than three days for an annihilation. Pakistan cricket is back where many claim it is supposed to be. Moreover, for the South African Arthur, it is a quiet pitch. He cannot hide this time. The tour has not exactly been a disaster, but the second Test seems to be almost like a Test match lost.

“It was a poor display from us coming off such a high at Lord’s as we are all about getting our consistency right and trying to play in the right style,” Arthur was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

“We’ll talk about it, we’ll have a hard discussion – we need to dish out a couple of hidings! But they are gutted and if they learn from this, hopefully, they can grow and grow quicker,” he added.

Where he goes, and more importantly, Pakistan cricket goes, remains to be seen.

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com.