LAHORE: Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur, in his official report sent to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has held the bowlers more responsible for Pakistan’s pathetic performance during Test series whitewash against Australia.

PCB chairman Shaharyar M. Khan told reporters here that Arthur considered bowlers were chiefly responsible for the abject surrender as they did not bowl according to line and length and conceded too many runs in claiming wickets which allowed the Australians to score freely.

Shaharyar said the report would be discussed in detail and after the tour concludes, while adding the second Pakistan Super League this year further step would be taken to revamp Pakistan cricket.

The performance of the national team was pathetic in Australia and even great Australian former captain Ian Chappell passed very negative remarks about Pakistan cricket and also advised the Cricket Australia to think twice before inviting Pakistan for a series Down Under.

The PCB chairman, however, refused to comment on Chappell’s diatribe.

However, Pakistani cricket circles mainly believe that Chappell may had refrained from making adverse comments had Mickey Arthur would not have been coaching Pakistan. Arthur’s relation with Cricket Australia was soured when he was sacked from the job as Australia’s head coach in June 2013, just three weeks before the start of the Ashes series in England.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2017