Mickey Arthur

Pressure from above led to Arthur departure

Telford Vice and Firdose Moonda
http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/445899.html

Mickey Arthur's resignation as South Africa's coach came in the wake of increasing pressure from administrators over what they saw as the under-performance of the national team.

Arthur quit in dramatic circumstances on Monday, reportedly following an "irreparable breakdown" in his relationship with Graeme Smith. But a source close to Cricket South Africa denied that a rift had developed between coach and captain.

"This is not a Graeme issue," the source told Cricinfo. "Graeme is not that powerful. It looks ugly because he has been through three coaches (Eric Simons, Ray Jennings and Arthur) and three convenors of selectors, but he is still a young captain."

Arthur also said his resignation had nothing to do with Smith. "This is not about Graeme," he told the Hindustan Times."I have absolutely no issues with Graeme. We had and have a very sound relationship. It will all come out in the press conference tomorrow, as he's flying down to keep me company."

Instead, it seems official reaction to South Africa's comparative lack of recent success forced Arthur's hand. The team won just one of the six Tests they played in 2009, and drew their home series against England this month.

"Arthur doesn't handle pressure well at all, and he is facing pressure from a few different sources on a few different issues," the source said. "The board is questioning him on the team's non-performance and on issues like transformation. Even though he has been getting frustrated with these questions, the timing of his resignation is strange."

However, Smith's vice-captain, Ashwell Prince, disagreed that South Africa had performed poorly with Arthur at the helm. "He's had five years in the job, and he's taken the team to the top in both the Test and one-day rankings," Prince told Cricinfo. "I wouldn't have thought he would be under pressure to resign."

Despite their consistently high one-day ranking, South Africa have failed to win ICC events and have instead earned a reputation as the most reliable chokers in the game. Prince took a different view. "South Africa haven't done as well as they would have liked in one-day and Twenty20 tournaments, but those events are tough to win," he said.

Whatever the reasons behind Arthur's resignation, a selection dispute doesn't seem to be among them. "I was very surprised," South Africa's selection chief and a former national coach himself, Mike Procter, told Cricinfo. "We had meetings last Tuesday, and there was no hint of anything like this. I didn't have a clue."

South Africa's Test and one-day squads for their imminent tour to India were announced last Monday. Neither squad contained the kind of shock selection that could force a resignation, and Procter said conflicts with Arthur were rare: "He was very good to work with from a selector's point of view. Obviously, we had the odd disagreement over selection, but that's normal."

Prince was equally bemused by Arthur's decision. "For me, it's quite a surprise," he said. "I will miss him, because the team operates like a family. Just the other day we all had Christmas lunch together, along with our wives and children."

Corrie van Zyl, a former South African assistant coach, will take the team to India in a caretaker capacity. The source denied that Vincent Barnes had, as has been reported, been sacked or had resigned as bowling coach.

Kepler Wessels, the former South African captain and Northamptonshire coach, is one of the contenders to replace Arthur in the long-term, as is the former England coach, Duncan Fletcher, who has served the team as a batting consultant in recent seasons. Arthur is reportedly hoping to further his career with an English county.

EN

Too many chiefs by half

In a society in which politics is sport and sport is politics, it is entirely plausible that CSA is under government pressure to follow rugby's lead by appointing a black coach. South Africa's blip in form, would be a convenient excuse to do just that

Telford Vice

January 27, 2010
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Mickey Arthur announces his resignation, East London, January 27, 2010
Mickey Arthur's face at the press conference was not of a man who had voluntarily resigned his position Getty Images
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In Focus: BCCI elections
Players/Officials: Mickey Arthur | Kepler Wessels
Teams: South Africa

Five years ago, at a press conference called to unveil South Africa's new coach, Mickey Arthur turned up tieless in a shirt that shimmered with diagonal purple stripes. "Cool shirt," a reporter quipped when he collected his voice recorder as the conference broke up.

"Really? You think so?" a beaming Arthur blurted. Clearly, nothing was going to go wrong for him that day.

Five years on, at another press conference, Arthur again wore purple. But this time it was the colour of the straight, narrow tie that clutched at his throat. He said that Cricket South Africa (CSA) and he had "different visions" for taking the team forward. The most important difference between them might well be the fact that CSA reckons its chief executive, Gerald Majola, is a better choice for selection convenor, albeit temporarily, than Mike Procter.

Arthur reminded all present that he had been part of some of the most glorious moments in the history of South African cricket, notably South Africa's first Test series win in Australia and the one-day miracle match, where South Africa successfully chased a target of 435 to beat Australia.

But the calm vanished as he thanked his "lovely family" for putting up with the intrusion of his job into their lives. The ever ebullient voice cracked, the chubbily cheerful cheeks were suddenly streaked with tears.

This was not the face of a man who had voluntarily resigned his position. If Arthur wasn't pushed - and everyone involved keeps trying to tell us he wasn't - he certainly wasn't behaving like someone who jumped.

Why would Arthur be replaced? One reason could be the success of South Africa's national rugby team, the Springboks, under Peter de Villiers, their first black coach.

De Villiers defied predictions of dire times by rugby's conservative establishment to guide the Boks to a series victory over the British Lions and earn South Africa's second-ever win in the Tri-Nations, an annual tournament that more often than not is won by New Zealand.

In a society in which politics is sport and sport is politics, it is entirely plausible that CSA is under government pressure to follow rugby's lead by appointing a black coach. South Africa's blip in form last year, when they won just one of the six Tests they played, would be a convenient excuse to do just that. The same argument would apply to the wholesale jettisoning of Procter and his selection committee.

Arthur's demise could also have been brought about by the unchecked growth of player power within the South African squad. Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers form an unsplittable atom of senior players in the dressing room. This, of course, is no bad thing. They are all fine, hardened cricketers with much to impart to younger players. Besides, small personalities are hardly abundant in international cricket.

But it is worrying to hear that a clique has formed within the squad, that there exists a group of players whose word is law, and that Arthur - a gentleman in the kindest sense of the word who would struggle to suspect anyone of taking the hand when a finger is offered - failed to assert enough control.



Kepler Wessels' involvement won't be universally welcomed. "He's like a bluegum tree," one of his detractors said, "nothing grows under him." Wessels is as singleminded and stubborn as any figure in a team sport can be. It really is his way or the highway, and best no-one forgets that



Need we be reminded that the last time South Africa became victims of this dangerous mischief, Hansie Cronje was exposed as a crook and the integrity of the game itself was damaged.

Which brings us to the appointment of Kepler Wessels as a selector and as the team's batting coach. At 52, Wessels scarcely looks different from his days as a Test opener and captain. He hasn't gained a visible ounce of weight, and he still trains daily. He is his own example - tough, fair, unbending.

So those who would look to exert authority they do not rightfully have within the South African squad should beware: Wessels won't stand for that.

Here's an indication of the approach he might bring to his new role. Several years ago, Wessels wrote a newspaper column in which he criticised the fitness levels of players in the South African squad.

Kallis called Wessels to complain. Wessels asked Kallis to hold the line a moment. He returned with a copy of the squad's latest fitness statistics, which were rather more useful to Wessels' argument than Kallis'. The younger man endured an awkward few minutes as his older and wiser comrade told him chapter and verse why he needed to get out his running shoes more often.

However, Wessels' involvement won't be universally welcomed. "He's like a bluegum tree," one of his detractors said, "nothing grows under him." Wessels is as singleminded and stubborn as any figure in a team sport can be. It really is his way or the highway, and best no-one forgets that.

And so begins South Africa's venture to India at the dawn of a brave new world, one in which Majola thinks he is the boss because he is the chairman of selectors. Except that Smith considers himself to be in charge. Wessels, of course, knows the buck stops with him.

Too many chiefs by half. What profit might the Indians make out of that?

Mickey glo weg oor kleur
2010-01-28 00:26

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Geen spanning: Mickey Arthur en Graeme Smith, Protea-kaptein, gister by die mediakonferensie in Oos-Londen waar Arthur se bedanking as hoofafrigter bespreek is. Nog berigte op bl. 36. Foto: gallo images

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Michael Green

Oos-Londen. – Ondanks pogings deur Krieket Suid-Afrika (KSA) om dit te ontken, is daar gister sterk in krieketkringe gegis dat Mickey Arthur sy pos as hoofafrigter kwyt is weens transformasieteikens wat nie bereik is nie.

Ingeligtes beweer Arthur het onder druk van KSA se bestuur gekom omdat die Proteas in die afgelope reeks teen Engeland in drie van die vier toetse sonder ’n “swart speler van Afrika-afkoms” gespeel het. Makhaya Ntini is ná die eerste toets deur Friedel de Wet vervang.

Spelers van kleur, soos JP Duminy en Ashwell Prince, voldoen volgens die ingeligtes nie aan die kleurvereiste wat KSA vir die pad vorentoe vir die Proteas stel nie. Mnr. Gerald Majola, uitvoerende hoof van KSA, se aanstelling as keurderbaas is glo ook daarop gemik om KSA se wil op spankeuses af te dwing.

Majola het gister op ’n mediakonferensie heftig ontken dat Arthur se bedanking enigiets met transformasie-teikens te doen het.

Arthur self het egter gesê hy het besluit om te bedank omdat sy visie verskil van KSA se raad s’n oor “strukturele veranderinge” wat in Mei gemaak gaan word.

Majola en Arthur wou nie oor dié strukturele veranderinge uitwei nie.

Volgens Majola sal die veranderinge op 19 Februarie by KSA se raadsvergadering bespreek word.

“Tot dan sal Corrie van Zyl as hoofafrigter waarneem en ek sal saam met hom en Kepler Wessels as keurders waarneem,” het Majola gesê.

Hy het ook bevestig dat Mike Procter en die vorige span keurders gepos is.

Graeme Smith, Protea-kaptein, het met verontwaardiging gereageer op gerugte dat hy een van die hoofredes is waarom Arthur so onverwags bedank het.

“Ek vind dit verstommend dat mense dink ek is die president, die CEO (uitvoerende hoofbeampte), afrigter én kaptein en dan moet ek nog lopies aanteken ook,” het Smith op die mediakonferensie gesê. “Ek probeer net die beste doen vir die span. Ego eenkant. Krieket kom eerste en ek was nog altyd eerlik met Mickey.”

Smith het gesê hy weet nie waar die gerugte van ’n kwaaivriendskap tussen hom en Arthur vandaan kom nie.

“As kaptein het hy altyd my volle ondersteuning gehad. Toe die stories eergister begin loop, het ons ’n paar keer met mekaar oor die telefoon gesels. Vyf jaar lank het ons ’n wonderlike verhouding gehad. Mickey het stabiliteit en kalmte in die span gebring.”

Arthur het sy verhouding met Smith as “fantasties” beskryf.

Hy het gesê hy sal beslis aansoeke oorweeg van ander lande, soos Nieu-Seeland, dat hy hul afrigter moet word. “Maar ek sal wag op die regte aanbod. Nou is ek vir eers tevrede om meer tyd saam met my vrou en kinders deur te bring en baie gholf te speel.”

Arthur het in ’n stadium, juis toe hy oor sy gesin gepraat het, bewoë voorgekom. Hy het ook gesê hy dink Van Zyl is die ideale plaasvervanger.

- Beeld

Ja, sy bedanking was nogals heel random.

Nie dat ek eintlik baie worry nie, want hy was anyway nie vir my great nie, en in krieket is die coach vir my nie so belangrik as die captain nie. Ek sien daar is moer baie mense wat in koerante se forums wil he Graeme Smith moet bedank, en gee Graeme die skuld. Maar hy is by verre ons beste speler, en as jy op Cricinfo kyk het hy ook 'n moerse impressive record as kaptein. En in games wat hy baie runs score, wen ons omtrent altyd.

Ek hoop nie hulle kry vir Kepler Wessels om hom te vervang nie. Gary Kirsten sou ideaal wees, maar hy moet nog 2 jaar vir Indie coach.....