Derbyshire’s Arthur rejects Pakistan approach to coach

The 54-year-old previously coached Pakistan between 2016 and 2019, overseeing their rise to be the top-ranked Test side.

He signed a new contract with Derbyshire last month, tying him to the club until the end of the 2025 season, having initially joined in November 2021 having left his previous post as head coach of Sri Lanka.

A Pakistan Cricket Board statement said they had “been in talks with former national team head coach Mickey Arthur with a view to appointing him as the head coach to guide the side through to the ACC Asia Cup, ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.”

The statement continued: “Owing to his long-term contract with Derbyshire, we have also discussed a proposal to act as a consultant to the PCB on a time-sharing basis with Derbyshire.

“Unfortunately, however, this option is proving difficult to materialise for various reasons on both sides.”

Speaking after signing his new deal last month, Arthur said: “I’ve always said that Derbyshire is a county close to my heart since working with the likes of Eddie Barlow and Fred Swarbrook, and my first season with the Club has only made that feeling grow.

“Supporters have made me feel instantly welcome, we have a squad full of potential and I’m looking forward to developing it and challenging for silverware at the very top of county cricket.

“The way the Club is run from top to bottom has impressed me, everyone from the players to the Supervisory Board and off-field staff have bought into our project and mentality, and I’ve been backed to achieve our goals.”

Chairman, Ian Morgan OBE, said: “When we appointed Mickey as our Head of Cricket, we saw it as a statement of our ambition, and the developments made in the last 12 months have highlighted our potential as a Club.

“We’ve also worked hard to improve results off the field which means we are now able to invest in cricket, and hopefully this will lead to more positive outcomes for our Members, sponsors and supporters who we sincerely thank for their continued support."