Babar Azam has led the ODI team for over three years, and at 29, he has been an international cricketer for more than eight years. Arthur emphasized the need to allow Babar time to grow, acknowledging that mistakes are part of the process.
He highlighted Babar's continuous learning and growth in the leadership role. "He's growing and we have to allow him the time to grow," Arthur said.
"And in order to do that, you make mistakes. It's not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes and as a group, we've made a lot of mistakes this World Cup. But if this group grows and learns from it, we've got the core of a very, very good side."
Arthur made critical observations about Pakistan's batting and bowling performance during the World Cup. He emphasized the need for the team to consistently post bigger scores, becoming a 330-350 team. The dependency on individual performances was noted as a concern.
"Batting-wise, we have to become a 330-350 team," he said. "The teams that are doing that and doing that consistently are the teams that are in the semi-final. And I don't think we've done that consistently enough. We do that when Fakhar Zaman comes off and we can't just be relying on one-on-one player."
Naseem Shah's absence due to injury affected Pakistan's bowling equilibrium, according to Arthur. The adjustment in roles, especially Haris Rauf bowling with the new ball, disrupted the team's balance.
Despite acknowledging this challenge, Arthur emphasized that it should not serve as an excuse for the team's overall performance.
“The one thing we know is that Haris Rauf doesn't normally bowl with the new ball. When you lose Naseem Shah, you have to find somebody to bowl with a new ball. We've been working hard on him with a new ball, and he bowled okay in patches. But when he bowls with an older ball - that's what he's used to,” said Arthur.
"It's not an excuse. Our bowling equilibrium was out of kilter because Naseem Shah provides the consistency, where it allows Shaheen to attack, and then you can attack with your legspinner and you attack with Haris Rauf. So, the equilibrium was upset but that is no excuse at all because quite frankly we haven't played well enough," he added.
This World Cup serves as a learning experience for both Babar Azam and the entire team, hopefully laying the foundation for future success.
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