According to media reports, former cricketer Yasir Arafat will be the new bowling coach of Pakistan and will assist Mickey Arthur. It has also been learnt that Arafat will continue to perform the duties of the head of the coaching staff in the absence of Mickey.
While Mickey’s contract with Derbyshire sees him fully committed to the county side till 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not backing down from its stance of getting him onboard. It has also been learnt that the PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has, in a meeting with Mickey, empowered him to appoint a coaching staff of his own liking to bring the desired results.
Arafat’s name has been suggested by Mickey after the former recently became the first Pakistani to complete his ECB Level-4 coaching course. It is pertinent to mention here that Arafat had expressed his wish to coach Pakistan under the previous PCB setup but his appeal fell on deaf ears.
According to a report published by the ESPNCricinfo, one name that caught the attention of one and all was that of Rehan Ul Haq – Islamabad United’s Team Manager. It has been reported that Mickey has asked the PCB to acquire the services of Rehan and appoint him to the post of Team Manager – a role he is all too familiar with.