Mickey Arthur, who is likely to be appointed the director of Pakistan’s national men’s side, met with the team on Tuesday in Islamabad.
Arthur is currently in Pakistan on a brief trip and is expected to sign his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today (Wednesday).
In a video shared by the PCB, Arthur can be seen meeting Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood and other Pakistan players.
Arthur will stay with the Pakistan men’s team till April 20 before leaving for England, where he is Derbyshire’s Head of Cricket.
Arthur has previously served as head coach of the Pakistan team for three years, having taken up the mantle in 2016. During his tenure, Pakistan also won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.
However, the PCB had decided to not renew the contracts of Arthur and his support staff, following the team's fifth-place finish at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019.
The PCB had earlier confirmed that it has been in talks with former national team head coach Arthur with a view to appointing him as the head coach to guide the side through to 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 Arthur's long-term contract with Derbyshire, PCB have also discussed a proposal to act as a consultant to the team on a time-sharing basis with Derbyshire.
Arthur has promised PCB to join the team in India for the 50-over ICC World Cup in India this year. Meanwhile, he will continue working for Derbyshire County Cricket Club as a full-time coach and won’t be available during the English domestic season.
It must be noted that English county side Derbyshire had secured the services of head of cricket Arthur until the end of the 2025 season, in December last year. The ex-Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka head coach had initially joined the club in November 2021 on a two-year deal.
Grant Bradburn will continue to act as a head coach of the national team during this period. He will stay in constant touch with Arthur on the technical sides.
- Mickey Arthur