Wahab: Arthur has made players ‘fearless’

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Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz cannot praise coach Mickey Arthur enough, saying the South African’s coaching methods have done wonders for the players’ confidence.

Arthur’s strict methods went down like a lead balloon with a side like Australia, but Wahab says Pakistan’s players enjoy knowing where they stand, and that the coach expects full commitment.

Wahab added that Arthur has emphasised playing freely, and that the players no longer worry about being dropped after one or two bad performances, but rather have the confidence to take risks.

Wahab was quoted as saying by Sports360: “What he requires is the effort, which I would say is the main thing he has brought.

“I think that’s the big difference because he is talking to the guys about what sort of roles they have to perform and they don’t have to worry about anything else.

“We know the kind of cricket we are playing, we are still behind the other teams, but what he started to bring in is a kind of confidence and that kind of fearlessness that our batters take the bowlers on and our bowlers take the batters on.

“He knows what he wants and what he wants out of his team.

“There was always a fear in player’s mind before that whether we would be playing the next game or not, but Mickey has tried to communicate with his players and he’s taken the fear out of them.

“As a player, such things can increase your confidence because you know that all you need to do is give 100 percent, and if you do that, the coach will back you up.”

Pakistan have risen to number one in the Test rankings since Arthur’s arrival, though have a more challenging task in the ODI arena to qualify for the World Cup, as they are ranked outside the top eight.

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