KARACHI: As Pakistan faces criticism from all quarters concerned following the national team’s disastrous show in the ICC Champions Trophy, their former head coach Mickey Arthur has explicitly slammed the sport’s apparatus in the country while backing Jason Gillespie after incumbent coach Aaqib Javed’s remarks on the team’s coaching set-up which has seen multiple changes in recent years.

The way the game is governed and media-driven agendas, Arthur believes, are damaging Pakistan cricket.

“They had got some really good coaches who could take them forward. But then that machine that works in Pakistan that just keeps undermining and agendas are driven in the media,” Arthur, who coached Pakistan team between 2016 and 2019, told talkSport.

“It’s a jungle out there and I feel desperately sorry for Gary [Kirsten] and Jason [Gillespie]. There’s no doubt in my mind that they were undermined because it’s to the detriment of the players and ultimate to the detriment of Pakistan cricket,” he added.

Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie, who took over as the coach of Pakistan’s Test team, but resigned in less than a year, called his successor Aaqib a ‘clown’ on social media platform, accusing the ex-Pakistan fast bowler of undermining him (Gillespie) and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten.

Arthur while supporting Gillespie reckoned Pakistan cricket was its own rival.

“I love this quote to be brutally honest. Jason Gillespie is a wonderful coach, wonderful man. Pakistan cricket just continues to shoot itself in the foot. It is its worst enemy. There are so many good players; they’ve got the resources now; there’s so much young talent. They have incredible skill. And yet it’s still so chaotic. It’s really disappointing to see,” Arthur said. “I thought when they signed Gillespie and Kirsten, they had gone down exactly the right route, and they had got some really good players. Because ultimately it’s the players that lose out,” the South African added.

Gillespie and former South African batter Kirsten were appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in April 2024, but both left their positions abruptly.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025