LAHORE: Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn, the foreign coaches attached with the Pakistan cricket team, are likely to continue in their respective roles with new chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq conveying to the management that he is comfortable working with them, Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported on Tuesday.

South African Arthur was appointed as Pakistan’s team director in April by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) while Bradburn joined as head coach in May.

However, there was speculation that their stints might be cut short in case the Cricket Technical Committee (CTC) — which included Inzamam before he was appointed as chief selector — won’t give a positive response on the presence of foreign recruits on the selection panel.

Inzamam, according to a PCB insider, is said to have played an influential role in convincing PCB interim Management Committee chief Zaka Ashraf and CTC head Misbah-ul-Haq not to try to change the team management at this stage.

“It was Inzamam who gave positive feedback about Arthur and even Bradburn and assured the chairman he will be able to work well with them and they can all do their best to select the best teams for coming events,” the PTI quoted the insider as saying.

Inzamam, after accepting the paid position, said that he had worked before with Arthur and also knew Bradburn well.

“I have worked before as Chief Selector and formed a good understanding with Mickey. With the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up and then a Test tour to Australia it is going to be a challenge in the coming days for us,” Inzamam said.

Inzamam accepted the chief selector’s position on Monday after stepping down as a member of CTC.

Ironically Misbah was on the PCB’s cricket committee in 2019, which after the World Cup in England had recommended against extending contracts of Arthur, who was head coach and Inzamam, who was the chief selector then.

The PCB insider said that at one stage Zaka was not happy with the terms on which his predecessor, Najam Sethi had hired Arthur and how the team director, despite remaining in England, had hand-picked his own coaching staff.

“It was Inzamam who once he came onto the cricket technical committee said Arthur was capable of delivering and would be with the team for most part of the Asia Cup and then wholly for the World Cup and tour to Australia so the PCB should back him,” he said, adding that Ashraf had a long discussion with Arthur on the advice of Inzamam and matters have now been settled and there would be no change in the team management.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2023