Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has claimed that skipper Babar Azam is following the advice given by Pakistan team’s director Mickey Arthur.
Pakistan recently won the five-match ODI series 4-1 against New Zealand on home soil.
"We always talk about giving players a chance, and they have been given a chance. I think at the moment, Mickey and his management team are controlling all these things," Afridi said on a local news channel.
"Babar is also following what the management is saying at the moment because the World Cup is coming up, and we will have to make some experiments. Therefore, in my opinion, all the management, coaches, and captain are on the same page," he added.
Arthur is part of the coaching staff for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, away tour to Australia and home series against the West Indies. He will also be present with the side for Pakistan’s matches against India in the ACC Asia Cup.
During his time from 2016 to 2019, Arthur coached Pakistan to No.1 in Tests and T20Is, and also helped the side to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be rejoining the Pakistan cricket team and look forward to working with the group,” Arthur said last month.
“Since moving on, I have kept a track of the players and their collective performances. This is a talented bunch with the potential to be number one across all formats and my endeavor is to put in place strategies and create an environment that can contribute in further enhancing their performances so that we can extract the best out of them,” he added.
- Shahid Afridi