(Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Learn to take a joke; you’ll live longer.)
DUBAI – Pakistan’s head coach Mickey Arthur has said that the fact that the national side isn’t playing first team members in the ongoing ODI series against Australia, is the perfect way for the team to gear up for the upcoming World Cup.
Reacting to the criticism faced by Pakistan following the series loss, the head coach said that he hates losing.
“But we are losing the battle to ensure that we win the war,” Arthur said. “We are not playing the first teamers against Australia, the defending world champions, because that is the ideal preparation for the World Cup – let me explain how.”
The Pakistan coach said that the move would keep the side’s opponents guessing as to what the team was going to throw at them.
“Nobody would know what Pakistan’s combination and starting 11 would be if we don’t know what it is ourselves. The selection for the Australia series was as much to confuse our opponents as it was to confuse ourselves,” Arthur said.
“Also, imagine Pakistan playing full-strength and badly losing the series against Australia. How bad would that have been for our confidence!” he added.
“This way we can lose and just pretend that we just did not give enough s**ts.”
