PCB extends the contract of Mickey Arthur until 2019 World Cup

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended the contract of Mickey Arthur as the coach of the national team until 2019 Cricket World Cup. The support staff has also been given the extensions along with the coach following the decent performance of the team in the recent past. The team has fared excellently under Arthur and had also reached the top of the ICC Test rankings albeit for a brief period. They also won the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year against the expectation of everyone.

The team is currently involved in the Test series against Sri Lanka as the second Test will be played under lights from Friday. The hosts are lagging in the series after losing the first game agonisingly by 22 runs while chasing a meagre target of 136. The coach would love to celebrate the news of his extension with the team with a series-levelling win over the team from the island nation.

It makes no sense to make changes now

The PCB official revealed the news of the contract extension of Mickey Arthur who had joined the team in 2016 just before the England tour on a two-year contract. “Contracts of the head coach and other support staff have been extended till the World Cup. The only change that can be made in the management is that of the manager. The PCB will review whether to retain former Test batsman Talat Ali as manager or make a new appointment after the ongoing series against Sri Lanka,” the official told PTI.

“It makes no sense to make changes now as the next important assignment is the World Cup,” he continued. However, he also cleared the allegations on the South African made by Umar Akmal who is suspended after an altercation with Arthur. “Arthur told Umar that only contracted players were being trained at the NCA when Umar raised the issue of Salman Butt (having nets at the NCA). The head coach told him to focus on his own fitness and form. Arthur didn’t say anything out of ordinary,” the official explained.