Big resignations shake up Pakistan Cricket ahead of 4th T20I against New Zealand

Former Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur and ex-batting coach Andrew Puttick have resigned from their respective posts in a big shake-up to Pakistan Cricket. This development came right ahead of the fourth T20I between Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistan and New Zealand which is slated to be played on January 19. Notably, Mickey Arthur and Andrew Puttick were earlier reassigned roles at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore in November 2023. Earlier in this month, Grant Bradburn, who served as the national team's head coach during the World Cup 2023, also relinquished his post.

“All three individuals informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of their decision to leave their respective jobs by the end of January 2024,” the PCB said in a statement.

“The decision was taken amicably between all the stakeholders. The PCB wishes them well in their future endeavours and is grateful for their services,” it added.

In April 2023, Mickey Arthur took up the role of director of the Pakistan men's cricket team, while Grant Bradburn was appointed as the head coach of the national men's team earlier in the previous year. Former South African cricketer Andrew Puttick had been serving as Pakistan's batting coach since April 2023.

Prior to his latest assignment, Arthur had a tenure as the head coach of the Pakistan Men's Cricket Team from 2016 to 2019. During this period, Pakistan achieved the No. 1 position in the ICC Test team rankings and triumphed in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Arthur's coaching career in international cricket also includes stints as the head coach of South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka.

57-year-old Bradburn, a former New Zealand international who played 18 matches between 1990 and 2001, held the position of fielding coach for the Pakistan men's team from 2018 to 2020. He then assumed the role of Head of High-Performance Coaching at the NCA, a position he maintained until October 2021. During his time as head coach, Bradburn led Pakistan to reach the No. 1 position in the ICC ODI team rankings for the first time, a milestone achieved in May 2023.

Post the ODI World Cup 2023, former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez stepped into the position of Team Director and also filled the role of Head Coach for the Test series against Australia. Adam Hollioake was brought on board as the batting coach for this series, with Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal assuming the roles of bowling coaches for fast bowling and spin bowling, respectively.

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