‘Khelne aaye ho ya ghumne aaye ho” – Fans react to Mickey Arthur’s recent comment on tight security for Pakistan team in ODI World Cup 2023

Weeks after his unusual assertion that the World Cup 2023 has felt more like an “Indian Cricket Board event instead of an International event” following Pakistan’s defeat to India in Ahmedabad, the team’s director of cricket raised a few eyebrows with another comment. Mickey Arthur has now stated that the enhanced security measures, which have limited the players to their hotel rooms, have contributed to their lacklustre performance in India. Pakistan’s World Cup campaign is in a precarious position after losing four of their last five matches, leaving them in sixth place on the points table.

This disappointing run included a four-match losing streak, an unprecedented occurrence in Pakistan’s World Cup history, which was broken by a victory against Bangladesh. Although the win in Kolkata injected some hope into Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semi-finals, a second consecutive win at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday could see Babar Azam and his team secure a spot in the knockout stage, especially given New Zealand’s injury woes. In the lead-up to the critical match, Arthur pointed to the “suffocating” security measures in India, reminiscent of the Covid era, as a factor affecting the mental well-being of Pakistan’s players.

“What has been tough is the fact that we’ve been under a massive amount of security. And to be fair, I found it difficult. It’s almost like we’ve been back in the COVID times when you were almost secluded to your floor and your team room,” Micky Arthur said.

Lack of participation in IPL is another reason for Pakistan’s dismissal show

The team director went on to explain that the Pakistan players have been engaging in leisure activities within their hotel rooms rather than venturing outside on their non-training days. He also attributed Pakistan players’ lack of participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a disadvantage compared to other teams. Political tensions between the two countries led to Pakistani cricketers being excluded from the IPL after the inaugural season in 2009, which has put them at a disadvantage.

“So much so that their breakfast is in a separate room from everybody else. Our boys are used to being on the road. But when they’re on the road, they’ve still been able to get out and have meals at different places, and get out on their own accord, and we haven’t been able to do this time. That’s been tough and stifling. I think the guys have been out three times – we’ve managed to do that with security, get them out to a different restaurant, just to give them a little bit of a taste of the outside world,” Mickey Arthur added.

Let us look at how Twitter has reacted to this statement from Mickey Arthur;