Mickey Arthur may return to Pakistan as Sri Lanka coach

Mickey Arthur may return to Pakistan next month with the Sri Lankan Test team as their new head coach, according to ESPNcricinfo.

As of yet, Arthur has not made it official with the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). One reason for this is because the current head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has not been formally dismissed. However the board is closing in on Arthur in time of the upcoming Test tour of Pakistan.

The SLC were in the works of appointing a new head coach since their lackluster World Cup campaign this year and had considered many big-names such as England’s former batting coach Mark Ramprakash but the board’s decision boiled down to one particular South African.

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"We are having discussions with Mickey. We think we will be able to reach an agreement," SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said.

Despite coaching Australia and South Africa, De Silva revealed that it was Arthur’s tenure in Pakistan, between 2016 and 2019, which won the board over.

"He had won the 2017 Champions Trophy with Pakistan, and had also taken Pakistan to the No. 1 spot in T20s. He's a well-known coach and he's been around for a while," he said.

The former Pakistan head coach had been sacked after the team’s underwhelming performance in the World Cup.

Arthur had expressed his disappointment over the news but perhaps he may show what they are missing when Sri Lanka arrives in December.