Mickey Arthur leads the resignation spree at PCB amid team's poor performance against New Zealand

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finds itself amid turbulent times, marked by a series of resignations and coaching staff reshuffles. The latest blow came on Thursday when three seasoned coaches, Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn, and Andrew Puttick, collectively stepped down from their roles at Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy.

This trio, recently integrated into the coaching staff following the ODI World Cup 2023, opted for a simultaneous resignation despite the recent coaching revamp by PCB. Mickey Arthur, who took over as the Director of Cricket in April 2023, had previously served as Pakistan’s head coach from 2016 to 2019. Grant Bradburn, the team’s former fielding coach (2018–2020), assumed the head coach position in the preceding year, while Andrew Puttick held the role of batting coach.

"All three individuals informed the Pakistan Cricket Board of their decision to leave their respective jobs by the end of January 2024. The decision was taken amicably between all the stakeholders. The PCB wishes them well in their future endeavours and is grateful for their services," the PCB said in a release.

Mickey Arthur faced criticism for Pakistan’s loss in the CWC23

Post-World Cup, Pakistan witnessed comprehensive changes in coaching positions and captaincy. The three coaches were transitioned to roles within the National Cricket Academy after being removed from the national team. Mohammad Hafeez assumed the role of team director, and concurrently, he served as the head coach in the recently concluded Test series against Australia. Adam Hollioake, Umar Gul, and Saeed Ajmal were appointed as the batting, fast bowling, and spin bowling coaches, respectively.

Pakistan’s cricketing woes extend beyond off-field changes, as the team has grappled with disappointing performances in recent tournaments. Following lacklustre displays in the Asia Cup and the World Cup, Pakistan faced a 3-0 defeat in the Test series in Australia and another 3-0 loss in the T20 series in New Zealand.

Despite the captaincy changes, with Shan Masood leading in red-ball cricket and Shaheen Afridi taking the reins in white-ball cricket, the anticipated impact on the team's performance has yet to materialize. The cricket fraternity closely watches the PCB’s response to these challenges as they seek stability and success in upcoming competitions.