Pakistan batting coach Grant Flower has admitted that the atmosphere in the dressing room is not ideal following the team’s six wicket loss to South Africa in the first Test at Centurion.
The tourists folded inside three days in the Boxing Day fixture with their vulnerability to batting collapses being exposed once again. Post the team’s dismal batting performance, there were reports that head coach Mickey Arthur had lashed out at several senior batsmen in the squad including skipper Sarfraz Ahmed.
The Pakistan team management had later denied the reports strongly but in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Flower has revealed that Arthur did indeed have strong words with the senior players.
“Mickey had some strong words with the players; there was quite a bit of honesty from him. I think the guys were a bit shell-shocked, but they’ve heard Mickey, everyone knows he can come down harshly on the boys at times,” said Flower.
“But sometimes that’s needed and the guys needed to be told a few home truths. Mickey won’t be the first or last coach to do that.”
Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur.
The former Zimbabwe stalwart insisted that the issue was not about Arthur coming down heavily on the Pakistan but about who leaked the minutes of the team meeting to the media.
“We don’t know who it is (the leaker). But they’ve got to look at themselves in the mirror. It should never happen. On tour it’s all about teamwork, you’re supposed to be a family and trust each other. But I’ve been with the team over four years and there have been constant leaks all the time. It’s nothing new for me, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise,” Flower explained.
With Pakistan trailing 0-1 in the three-match series, Flower believes that the axe is certain to come down on non-performing players in the second Test.
“I’m not involved in selection, but there are quite a few guys with their places under threat. It’s not just one or two batsmen, you could point fingers at a few players,” he said.
The second Test between South Africa and Pakistan gets underway at Newlands, Cape Town on January 3.
