Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Head coach Mickey Arthur feels that if there would be a role for Shahid Afridi in Pakistan cricket then he will be brought back.

Mickey said Afridi has been a fantastic player for Pakistan for many years and “you don’t discard phenomenal players like that very easily”.

“If we think there is a role for him we will certainly bring him back but that is a discussion for the future and another time. There’s a lot of cricket to be played before we get to that discussion,” he told Pakpassion.net.

Speaking about Pakistan struggling in Twenty20 cricket, Mickey said one learns a lot from franchise cricket tournaments. “Not playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) could be affecting the performances of the Pakistan team in the Twenty20 over format,” he said.

He further said that the head coach should be part of the selection panel. “I think the head coach has a role to play on that panel but it is also good in some instances that you have people who are part of the team environment also selecting, otherwise you select for now and forget about the future.”

Mickey said working with three different captains in Pakistan cricket would be a little bit difficult. “I will discuss it with chief selector Inzamamul Haq and see what he thinks is the best way forward and we will go from there.”

“Ideally you want two captains as a maximum across the three formats. That is something we will look at, even if it is three different captains that can be fine. We will do what is best,” he said.

Talking about plans with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the head coach said he always likes to have goals and targets set for him and the team.

“But again they will be small and little steps to start with. You have to crawl before you walk or run. I will keep assessing those goals and as we move up I will be able to assess the goals and standards we want.”