'It was a tough, hostile environment': Mickey Arthur recalls Pakistan's match vs India at Ahmedabad

Pakistan’s former team director Mickey Arthur has revealed the psychological pressure the Pakistan cricket team had to face in India during the ODI World Cup 2023, especially during the match against the hosts at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India won the group match by seven wickets as Pakistan’s campaign came crashing down and they eventually failed to qualify for the semi-final. Arthur said that Pakistan’s problems were compounded by the lack of supporters during matches in India. “It was extremely tough not having any Pakistan support. The one thing that really drives the Pakistan team is the incredible support they receive at grounds and hotels. Here we never had that, and that was quite tough in a World Cup, particularly for the players,” Arthur was quoted as saying by the Wisden. “As you can imagine it was a tough, hostile environment in Ahmedabad. But we were expecting this, and to their credit our players never moaned or complained once. They cracked on and tried their best - nevertheless it ultimately does play a role in motivation when you can’t see or hear that support base around you.” Pakistan’s poor campaign was also marred by media reports of dressing room discord and fights among the players. Arthur, however, denied the reports. “The outside noise with Pakistan is incredible, you just have to check your Twitter feed to see so many fires that are ignited out there, that have absolutely no truth attached to them. You end up - and I found this out the first time - you’re just constantly extinguishing those fires and chasing your tail. What we knew within our team was our game plan, and the defined roles that the players had, and we cracked on with it. There were unequivocally no massive disagreements with the players,” Arthur added.