Mickey Arthur: Understanding different cultures most important in international coaching

Veteran coach Mickey Arthur has stressed on importance of understanding "team culture" as a foreigner and building side around it, something he could t understand with Australia but is in process of doing so with Sri Lanka, his fourth international coaching assignment. 51-year-old started his journey as an international coach with native South Africa, taking Proteas to number one spot in Tests during his tenure from 2005 to 2010. It was under him that South Africa won ir maiden Test series in Australia. His next assignment with Australia from 2010 to 2013 did t end on a pleasant te as he was sacked in wake of "homework gate" scandal during 2013 tour of India. Arthur n guided Pakistan to 2017 Champions Trophy title and it was under him y flourished as a T20 unit.

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'Understanding different cultures most important' 

"I love experiencing different cultures. South Africa was different to Australia and Australia was totally different to Pakistan. And Pakistan is different to Sri lanka in so many ways. That is one of challenges of coaching, that's what makes it so special," said Arthur following Sri Lanka's seven-wicket loss to India here on Tuesday.

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However, PCB did t renew his contract following 2019 World Cup, where Pakistan narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth. Arthur was appointed Sri Lanka coach last month on a two-year contract. Having gained rich experience in international coaching, Arthur says he has learnt his lessons. "Getting in and building a team that is representative of that culture, and that is most important thing, that culture comes first. That is probably something I got wrong with Australia.  "As long as you've got good players, selfless players, players that play and are committed to a cause. As long as you've got those guys, you can achieve great things. And I think in Sri Lankan dressing room, we have got those players."

Arthur has taken over a team that has been struggling ever since likes of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara retired. He ackwledged it being a massive challenge. "I told boys in dressing room that we have got to go to 2020 World Cup (T20), qualify We first have to qualify to get into main draw and that is reality of where we are at," he said, referring to Sri Lanka's seventh rank.

" exciting thing for me though is that re is a very young core group of players and y are very skilled. But we need to coach game plans, match awareness, 

"Pakistan was a team that was ranked .9 in T20 cricket and we got Pakistan to win 11 series in a row -- we did t play India -- and got ourselves to 1 in world. re were good values because we used sum of our parts. And that is kind of what I see with Sri Lanka.

"It is going to be a challenge, we've got eight months to that 2020 World Cup, I am thinking even one World Cup furr than that -- I am thinking (about) coming back here in 2021 when guys would be a real finished article, but it is going to take a lot of work."

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Ar side which has been struggling since retirement of senior players is South Africa. However, Arthur sees m bouncing back under new manment comprising likes of Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher. "...those with whom I was intricately involved with during my time in coaching -- Jacques Kallis Charl Langaveldt, Paul Harris -- it is good to see m back and I certainly think y are going to make a massive difference to South African cricket," he said. Asked wher quotas for coloured players is affecting South Africa cricket, Arthur said it can't be used as an excuse anymore.

"It was something that h to happen. We can't keep using that as an excuse because players that are playing w, are playing on merit. You can look at Rugby World Cup winning team, every player starts playing.

"(Kagiso) Raba and those guys are playing because y are best players. I think South African cricket is past that w."

Commenting on Sri Lanka's batting performance against India in second T20, South African said visiting team has a long way to go. "...we have got some serious work to do in terms of game-plan, match awareness and playing big moments. I think we h 49 dot balls tonight, which is too many, as best teams in world (would) have 25 dot balls. "re is too many big shots without ability to keep rotating strike. If you cut those 49 (dot balls) by 24 n you have got ar 24 to score off, and with strike rotation you put bowlers off a little bit. "You (may) get a b ball, an extra boundary, and suddenly we are up to 170. And with that you can challenge likes of a very good Indian team," he explained.

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