'Pakistan cricket a jungle': Mickey Arthur supports Jason Gillespie's criticism
What's the story
Former head coach of Pakistan cricket team, Mickey Arthur has come out in support of Jason Gillespie's recent scathing attack on Aaqib Javed.
The feud started when Gillespie called Javed a "clown" for allegedly undermining him during his time as Pakistan Test squad coach.
Arthur defended Gillespie on talkSport, calling him a "wonderful coach" and slamming the circus that is Pakistan cricket.
Hosts Pakistan recently crashed out of the ICC Champions Trophy without a win.
Critique
Arthur laments the state of Pakistan cricket
Arthur also expressed his disappointment at the current state of Pakistan cricket.
He said despite having good players and resources, "it's still so chaotic."
He thought the PCB had made the right decision by appointing Gillespie and Gary Kirsten as coaches, but was disheartened to see them leave.
Arthur emphasized that "ultimately it's the players who lose out" in such situations.
Jungle
Arthur describes Pakistan cricket as a 'jungle'
Further elaborating on the challenges coaches face in Pakistan, Arthur described it as a "jungle."
He said, "They had some really good coaches who could take them forward. But then that machine that works in Pakistan just keeps undermining and agendas are driven in the media."
Arthur sympathized with Gillespie and Kirsten, noting their struggles during their time with the team.
Turmoil
Pakistan cricket's recent coaching upheavals
The coaching scenario in Pakistan has been tumultuous since their disappointing outing in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup.
Mickey Arthur was replaced by Mohammad Hafeez, who was sacked ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Gillespie and Kirsten were roped in, but neither continued for long due to differences with PCB over team selection (in Kirsten's case) and sacking within a year (in Gillespie's case).