Arthur returns with a point to prove

Mickey Arthur concedes that returning today to the Gabba, where his brief but eventful stint as Australia coach began against New Zealand five years ago, was a "pretty surreal" experience.

But the man who is now in charge of Pakistan’s national team as they prepare for their three-Test campaign against Australia has called for the focus to remain with the on-field battle rather than any personal feud with his former employer.

South African-born Arthur’s reign as the first non-Australian coach of the national team ended acrimoniously when he was axed just days before the start of the 2013 Ashes series in the UK and replaced by incumbent coach Darren Lehmann.

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Arthur continued to live in Australia after his contract was terminated and took legal action against Cricket Australia over his dismissal, but was appointed to the role of Pakistan coach earlier this year and took the often mercurial team (briefly) to number one in the world Test rankings.

His return to international cricket and a bout against Australia so early in his tenure with Pakistan has prompted suggestions that the 48-year-old has some personal scores to settle against CA, the man who succeeded him and some of the players whose dressing room support he lost towards the end of his stint in green and gold.

Arthur, who was in a typically genial mood during today’s 15-minute media conference at the Gabba where the first Commonwealth Bank Test begins on Thursday,  acknowledges that part of him is hell bent on proving that CA made the wrong call by sacking him in the wake of Australia’s disastrous 2013 Test tour to India.

But he added that his personal motivation was a minor sub-plot alongside the contest between two Test teams that have both held the number one ranking this year before being supplanted by current front runners, India.

"Of course there’s a part of me that feels that and I wouldn’t be honest if I said otherwise," Arthur said when asked if there was a vengeance component to his preparations for the upcoming series.

"I always maintained that I loved my two years with Australia and I was very fortunate to be able to coach the Australian national team.

"I loved the first year and a bit of it, that was outstanding and I thought we made some significant progress.

"I guess that’s how the cricket world operates these days and that’s what happens - it’s a ruthless world out there

"So yes, there is a part me that’s coming back and wants to show that (they made the wrong decision) but I’ve said it numerous times – the series isn’t about me versus Australia.

"The series is about two very, very good cricket teams going head to head and I hope that can be the focus for the remainder of the tour."

Arthur took over the Australia job in November 2011 after then coach Tim Nielsen opted not to re-apply for the position with the team undergoing a significant transition following the retirement of a host of established stars.

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Even though he guided Australia to 10 victories from his 19 Tests in charge (a winning ratio of 52.63 per cent which is superior to Lehmann’s current 50 per cent) it was the team’s 0-4 drubbing in India and the divisive ‘homework’ controversy in Mohali that fast-tracked Arthur’s demise.

Pace bowler Mitchell Starc, who along with current Test teammates David Warner, Matthew Wade and Jackson Bird, began his Test career while Arthur was in charge pointedly observed yesterday that the squad had changed "for the better" since Arthur departed.

With the fast bowler claiming the team was “a lot closer” than during the Arthur era, an observation echoed today by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon who had played but a handful of Tests when the South African took charge.

But Arthur pointed out that, rather like recent weeks when the under-performing Australia Test outfit was radically reshaped by the national selectors, the team he oversaw was disjointed largely because it was in a transitional phase.

A period that had spawned a full-scale review into Australian cricket’s systems and structure by business leader Don Argus, the appointment of a new Executive General Manager Team Performance (Pat Howard), chairman of selectors (John Inverarity) and captain (Michael Clarke).

And it was that climate of change as much as any festering disharmony that Arthur identifies as a major reason for his premature removal from the Australia job.

"It's actually great to hear,” Arthur said in response to Starc’s comments.

"I'm not beating around the bush when I say the team wasn't very close in those times, but that was because of different characters.

"I came in to the team after a very unstable period in Australian cricket.

"The Argus review, there was a new director of cricket, a head coach, a convenor of selectors and a captain all trying to find their way within in a structure.

"So it was a tough period for Australian cricket – it was a tough time for all of us wanting to know what our boundaries were and how the whole jigsaw fitted in.

"And it was a largely insecure time for the players as well, because there was a lot of change coming about.

"Davey Warner made his debut here (at the Gabba), Mitchell Starc made his debut here in my time.

"There was a lot of young players – Nathan Lyon was trying to make his way, young Phil Hughes at that point was trying to make his way.

"So it was a tough period for everybody, and during tough periods people are insecure.

"There's no two ways about that, and you can't sugar-coat anything – that's international sport, and your currency is performance, so it's tough.

"And since then, the guys have matured, they've gone on and Mitchell Starc has become a world-class cricketer so of course he feels more comfortable in his environment.

"It's just different phases, that's all. I don't look too much into what Mitch had to say to be honest."

As for the insights he’ll be able to deliver to the Pakistan players in their pre-Test planning, Arthur claims the scrutiny applied to international cricketers in the current era ensures that little remains unknown.

And the currency of his insights might be significantly devalued given almost half of the current Australian Test squad – Matthew Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Josh Hazlewood and Chadd Sayers – were not on the international scene when Arthur was in charge.

Arthur said he kept in touch with a few unnamed Australia players, and that he now had former Australia fielding coach Steve Rixon on his staff with the Pakistan team.

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But he pointed out the most detailed dossiers on opponents was not worth the paper they were printed on if your own players proved unable to implement the plans they spawned.

"I know a lot of the Australian players particularly well, but it’s a job as an international coach to know every player well,
Arthur said.

"We’ve got video analysis, we’ve got footage, we’ve got lots as do every other team.

"All we’ve got to do is we make sure that once we set the plans up we can execute them.

"The execution of the plans is the main thing.

"The information is useless unless you put it into practice and we’ll be working hard to do that."

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