PAK vs SL | Mickey Arthur named Head Coach of Sri Lankan cricket team

Mickey Arthur's next assignment will be managing a Sri Lankan team that has a mix of experienced pros like Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, etc. and some exciting young talents like Oshada Fernando that were unveiled in the 3-0 T20 series win against Pakistan. The 51-year-old was recently the Pakistan head coach and will be bringing a wealth of experience with him to Sri Lankan Cricket that will hopefully help the team develop more and more as time goes on.

"We are very happy and pleased that we have been able to obtain the services of Mickey. He's a well-known personality who has been the head coach of a number of countries," SLC secretary Mohan Silva told TOI. 

Arthur had been the head coach of Pakistan since 2016 and enjoyed a great high in 2017 in the form of the Champions Trophy triumph when Pakistan against all odds beat India convincingly in the final to lift the trophy.

However, lately, he was criticized for his style of coaching and his contract was not renewed when Pakistan failed to qualify for the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup. He was the coach of New Zealand's T20 side Central Districts when Sri Lanka came calling and he immediately grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

"It had been three very good years with Pakistan and I needed a little bit of time away. The Sri Lankan job became available and I started discussions. I looked at the talent that's available and that's the key motivating factor ... to help these young players fulfil their potential," Arthur said.

Former Zimbabwe Batsman Grant Flower will join the coaching staff as a batting coach while the Australian duo of David Saker and Shane McDermott will be the bowling coach and fielding coach respectively. Arthur's first assignment as a head coach will be a two-match Test series which begins on December 11 where he will return to Pakistan, this time as an opposition coach.

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