Arthur urges the cricket board and fans to refrain from "witch-hunts" and criticism and instead acknowledge the players' and coaching staff's hard work and commitment. He also emphasizes the immense effort put in by the players and staff.
It's really unfair to start a witch-hunt, certainly on Babar Azam, on Inzi, on our coaches, on the management team," he said. “What I do know is the boys have tried and the effort of the coaching staff, the effort of the players has been first-class. If they would see that the amount of effort that the players and staff put in, they would be amazed.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss to South Africa, Pakistan showed promising signs. Mickey Arthur highlights that their performance in this game, particularly with the ball, was their best bowling display of the tournament.
The team pushed South Africa to the limit, proving that they have what it takes to compete at the highest level.
"Tonight, I thought was our best bowling performance of the competition," Arthur said. “I thought we bowled really well, but I still thought we were under-par in terms of the runs that we had. We haven't put the perfect game together yet,”
“It hasn't been for lack of effort, hasn't been for lack of trying, but we just haven't got enough players in form at the minute, particularly with the bat,”
As Pakistan's chances for a semi-final spot hang by a thread, Arthur emphasizes the need for introspection. They must assess their combinations, address weaknesses, and focus on improving various aspects of their game.
"You never know," Arthur said of their lingering knock-out hopes. “What I do know is that we need to go and assess combinations again, we need to have a look at the holes we have within our team,”
"We need to we need to start improving in a lot of areas and we've got to go home and finish this tournament with three victories. That's what I do know. Every day we'll be trying and we'll be striving to do that," he added.
With three matches left in the World Cup, the team aims to finish on a high note and continue striving for victory.
While Pakistan's path to the semi-finals is challenging, Mickey Arthur's faith in his team remains unshaken. He believes that with the right adjustments and an unwavering spirit, Pakistan can still turn the tide in their favor and achieve success in the tournament.
The World Cup journey continues, and Pakistan is determined to make every match count.
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