Arthur expects hard work and excellence from ‘talented’ Sri Lanka

New ‘Consultant’ Head Coach Mickey Arthur today (05) said he intends to enforce a culture of hard work and excellence to help develop the talent that is at his disposal, as he begins a two-year tenure with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

Arthur’s appointment ends the search for a long-term replacement for Chandika Hathurusinghe, who is no longer being paid by SLC but is not yet terminated, with an inquiry into the former coach still ongoing.

Like Hathurusinghe, Arthur was also terminated after the Cricket World Cup, when he was fired by the Pakistan Cricket Board, but said he was ready to help Sri Lanka’s young talent fulfill their potential.

"It was three very good years with Pakistan and I needed some time away, and then the Sri Lankan job became available and I started discussions with Mr. Ashley de Silva. The thing that really attracted me was the talent that's available and that was the key motivating factor. It’s coming to work with these young players and help these young players fulfill their potential,” Arthur said.  

While saying specific targets were yet to be determined – his two-year contract coincides with the World Test Championship and two Twenty20 World Cups – Arthur is looking forward to building relationships that he said will help player development.

“I haven’t spoken around performances yet but I've been in the international cricket world the long time and the currency is wins. The currency is performing and winning. I've really enjoyed building a relationship with these players and giving them a year programme and then watching them develop and perform and become better and better. In terms of targets we haven't talked about it yet,” Arthur said.

“The cricket world is fluid at the moment, to be sitting in a World Test championship and with an ICC World T20 around the corner. We are in it to win it and we want to go and win every game we play. But for me is just seeing the players develop, to have a consistent core group of players that can play and compete and then watching them develop is going to be exciting,” he said.