Lahore-Former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur terming brilliant batsman Babar Azam ‘a cricket genius’ has said that the youngster is a 10,000 runs Test cricketer.
“I just get overjoyed every time I watch Babar Azam bat. People will say he’s my love child, I don’t care. He is going be very very special,” Arthur was quoted as saying here on Monday. “I remember everybody said I was favoring Babar. Yes, I was favoring him because I could see the potential and I knew what he would give Pakistan cricket in the long run. He is a ‘cricket genius’.”
Speaking about Pakistan head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq, Arthur said Misbah eat, sleeps and drink cricket. “Misbah is a great cricket brain and he eats, sleeps and drinks cricket. He is very passionate about Pakistan cricket and I think he will do a wonderful job for it,” he said.
Arthur, who was appointed as head coach of Pakistan team in May 2016, said that he doesn’t see any issue in Misbah doing dual roles. “I think Misbah with his knowledge of the domestic game is able to do those two roles and I have no doubt,” he said.
He further said that Mohammad Amir was one of his favourites. “I loved Amir because of his ability to bowl and his ability to win games. He should have prolonged his white-ball career as he got a phenomenal potential of match winner in this format, who potentially could win Pakistan T20 World Cup, if he was picked up in the national squad,” he said.
About Mohammed Hafeez’s statement on Arthur that there were double standards and favouritism while he was coaching, the former Pakistan coach said that he was surprised to hear this from Hafeez. “I like building relationships with players. I never ever have favoured anybody but I am partial to guys that I know can win games for my team and have the ambitious to become a match winner,” Arthur concluded.