Mickey Arthur
What did it mean for Pakistan to play in their homeland?
MICKEY ARTHUR has hailed the return of top class cricket to Pakistan as a huge step forward in the country’s attempts to resume a full international programme within its own borders.
Sri Lanka returned to Lahore for the final match of the country’s three-game T20 series against Pakistan at the end of October after playing the opening two in the UAE. It was a hugely significant moment for both countries, with Sri Lanka returning to the scene of the 2009 terrorist attack on the side.
It was also an enormous undertaking for Pakistan’s security services, with as many as 16,000 police officials and over 250 surveillance vehicles posted around Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Aerial surveillance and CCTV cameras were also deployed in an unprecedented display of vigilance.
Watching on was Arthur, the coach who has presided over a memorable 2017 for Pakistan cricket. The ICC Champions Trophy victory back in June handed cricket in the country a huge boost.
And Sri Lanka’s decision to play a match in Lahore, coupled with a forthcoming tour by the West Indies, means that 2017 will be remembered fondly by a country that has had to endure an eight-year hiatus in the UAE as a result of security concerns back home.
For Arthur it was a special moment – and one that he had had to wait since May 2016, when he was first appointed, to experience.
“It was extremely significant that Sri Lanka came to Pakistan because it could hopefully open the way for other teams to come,” he tells The Cricket Paper. “It also showed a great sense of courage that they were the team that came and broke the ice, so to speak, considering what happened in 2009.
“It was very special to coach a Pakistan team at home and the atmosphere and venue was so amazing. Winning the Champions Trophy was unbelievably special for so many different reasons but so was this.”
For many cricket fans, particularly those who represent the future of cricket in the country, it represented a first opportunity to see their heroes on home soil. For many of the Pakistan players it was also the first time they had been able to walk down the pavilion steps at the Gaddafi Stadium wearing their country’s famous green shirt.
“It has been a massive blow not having cricket in Pakistan,” says Arthur. “The players have not been able to perform on their home grounds in front of their friends and families and the young kids in Pakistan have not been able to identify with their role models – they have not been able to watch their heroes play in the flesh, which is a huge thing.
“We can only hope that momentum is building and that other teams will now follow suit and come to play in Pakistan. With the West Indies coming (in November) it’s another major team visiting which is a very good thing.”
Watching a dominant Pakistan performance – Arthur’s men won by 36 runs to complete a 3-0 series victory – will only have added to the magic of the occasion.
Those at the ground in Lahore will hope there are many more to come.