Former Pakistan cricket coach Mickey Arthur has expressed concerns over the impact of excessive promotion of players, stating that it distances them from reality and makes them believe they are more important than they actually are.
Following Pakistan’s defeat to England, Arthur shared his thoughts on social media, praising the players’ skills but also highlighting several factors that negatively affect the team’s morale and performance.
Arthur emphasised that Pakistan’s players are exceptionally talented and deserving of their spots on the team.
However, he stressed that in order to improve performance, consistency in selection, environment, and administration is crucial.
“The players are very, very skilled and are the right ones,” Arthur said. “The inconsistency around selection, environment, and administration plays a role in team morale, give the players structure, and they will perform.”
Arthur also pointed out the harmful role of media-driven narratives, describing how the media’s negative rhetoric can hurt the team. “The vile rhetoric from media and media-driven agendas do not help,” he remarked.
A key point in Arthur’s critique was the overpromotion of players by agents or the media, which he believes gives them a false sense of importance.
“The promotion of players by player agents or media makes the player sometimes think he is way more important than he is in reality, creating a false view,” Arthur highlighted.
Arthur emphasised that representing Pakistan should be the highlight of a player’s career. “Playing for Pakistan should be the best time ever!” he said.
