Mickey Arthur strongly hits back at 'disaster' Mohammad Hafeez as war of words takes dramatic turn

In a dramatic twist within Pakistan cricket, Mickey Arthur, the former Director of Cricket for Pakistan, delivered a stinging rebuke to Mohammad Hafeez for his accusations following Pakistan's poor performances in Australia and New Zealand. Arthur, upon concluding his stint with the Pakistan Cricket Board and returning to Derbyshire, did not mince words, labeling Hafeez's tenure as "a disaster."

"True leadership is about accepting responsibility and meeting the challenge head-on! Sadly, the easy option is to be a disaster and then blame, complain and deflect," Arthur wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Mohammad Hafeez pins blame on Babar Azam and Mickey Arthur

Hafeez, who briefly served as Pakistan's interim coach, had pointed fingers at Arthur and team captain Babar Azam for ceasing the players' fitness tests six months prior, a move he believed led to the team's overall unfitness. This clash of cricketing titans came after Pakistan suffered a clean sweep, losing 0-3 in the Test series against Australia, and faced a 1-4 defeat in the T20Is at the hands of New Zealand.

"When we went to Australia, I asked about the players’ fitness. He told me that Babar and Arthur had said there would be no fitness test for the players and that they would be allowed to play however they wanted," Hafeez said on Cricket Show The Pavilion.

“The players in Australia were unfit, with fat levels exceeding the allowed limit. Some of them couldn’t complete a 2 KM run. If you are not fit, you will suffer defeats like we experienced in Australia,”

Hafeez comes and goes in quick time

Hafeez's foray into the Pakistan Cricket Board's administration followed the ICC World Cup 2023 in India, a tournament where Pakistan failed to advance to the semifinals, prompting Babar to step down as captain in all formats. Appointed Director of Cricket, Hafeez also assumed the coaching mantle, entrusted by then PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf.

However, the former all-rounder's stint was abruptly ended as Pakistan's performances did not meet expectations, coinciding with the appointment of a new PCB chairman. Hafeez, a cricketing legend known for his prowess on the field, left the organization with a vow to unveil the shortcomings within the team, adding a layer of intrigue to the ongoing saga of Pakistan cricket's quest for excellence and accountability.

MORE ON SPORTS TAK: 

'He was forced...': Sunil Gavaskar slams Rohit Sharma for squandering DRS prompted by Ravindra Jadeja
BCCI set to strip 2 star Team India cricketers of central contract as punishment for constantly ignoring guidelines