Derbyshire 'delighted' after Mickey Arthur turns down Pakistan coach role
Arthur has a contract until 2025 with Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club's batter Tom Wood said that the side are "delighted" and "excited" that Mickey Arthur chose to stay with the county and turned down the offer to become the head coach of Pakistan.
The South African, who had previously led Pakistan's national team, had declined an approach to return for a second stint.
Talks broke down because Arthur wanted to finish his contract at the Incora County Ground, which he extended till December 2025, and the PCB wanted to hire a permanent coach.
"Everyone is excited and wants to work with Mickey. He's a big name and he's got a lot of experience and knowledge with what he has done in the game," Wood told The Cricketer.
"He has recommitted to the club after a few rumours that were knocking about but everyone is delighted he is still going to be with us. A few of the lads heard a few whispers but there was never anything formal."
In his first season of county cricket, Arthur raised the bar at Derbyshire, who went on to have successful seasons in the County Championship and Royal London Cup as well as make it to the T20 Blast quarter-finals.
"It is a massive boost for us and shows how committed he is to the project that he started at Derbyshire. It means a lot to him and that is reflected in him day to day and how he pushes us," he said.
"It is a big boost for everyone if we can mirror that same sort of passion and intensity then we'll only go from strength to strength for sure."
The PCB said in a statement that it has been in talks with former national team head coach Mickey Arthur to appoint him as the head coach to guide the side through the ACC Asia Cup, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
"However, owing to his long-term contract with Derbyshire, we have also discussed a proposal to act as a consultant to the PCB on a time-sharing basis with Derbyshire. Unfortunately, however, this option is proving difficult to materialise for various reasons on both sides," the board added.
Meanwhile, the national cricket governing body further said that it continues to hunt for "the right person to fit the slot of the national team head coach and some top names are already under consideration."
It should be mentioned here that Arthur is considered one of the most successful coaches in Pakistan. Under him, Pakistan won their first-ever Champions Trophy in 2017 and won record 11 consecutive T20I series.
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