Mickey Arthur (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Pakistan cricket has once again found itself in the middle of controversy and chaos following its first-round exit from the Champions Trophy 2025 — a tournament they were hosting on home soil after 29 years.
The disappointment has not only triggered fan outrage but also exposed deep divisions among past and present coaching figures.
Mickey Arthur, who led Pakistan during one of their more successful white-ball phases, was brutally honest in his criticism. Speaking to talkSport, Arthur said, “I love this quote, to be brutally honest. Jason Gillespie is a wonderful coach, wonderful man. Pakistan cricket just continues to shoot itself in the foot. It is its worst enemy.”
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Arthur believes Pakistan had made the right moves by appointing Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten to helm the red-ball and white-ball squads, respectively.
However, he expressed regret at the ongoing instability that continues to plague the system. “There are so many good players; they’ve got the resources now; there’s so much young talent. They have incredible skill. And yet, it’s still so chaotic. It’s really disappointing to see.”

In a sharp rebuttal to Aaqib Javed’s comments blaming Pakistan’s recent struggles on “too many changes”, Gillespie accused the newly appointed coach of trying to “undermine them” and even called Javed a “clown.”
Arthur echoed those concerns, pointing to deeper issues in Pakistan’s cricketing structure. “They had got some really good coaches who could take them forward. But then that machine that works in Pakistan just keeps undermining, and agendas are driven in the media,” he said.
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“It’s a jungle out there and I feel desperately sorry for Gary and Jason. There’s no doubt in my mind that they were undermined… it’s to the detriment of the players and ultimately to the detriment of Pakistan cricket.”
In what seems like a major shake-up, both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped from the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand.