MacGill supports Arthur’s appointment as Oz head coach

Stuart MacGill has endorsed Cricket Australia`s decision to appoint South African Mickey Arthur as the new head coach.

Sydney: Former Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has strongly endorsed Cricket Australia (CA)’s decision to appoint South African Mickey Arthur as the new head coach of the national team.

“It is clear Arthur met the selection criteria for the position of head coach better than any of the other candidates. The question remains as to whether or not those selection criteria were appropriate. In my opinion the coach of the Australian team should be focused solely on the guys in the squad at any given time,” a leading daily quoted MacGill, as saying. “Arthur’s role includes a far broader responsibility over coaching and implementation across the Australian cricket framework. This should be handled by somebody who isn``t travelling with the team 10 months of the year,” he added. Johannesburg-born Arthur is CA’s first overseas appointment as head coach. Arthur, who is presently the coach of Western Australia, would be relieved with immediate effect and take over before Australia’s Test series against New Zealand. The South African cricket team had scaled the first rank in all three formats of the game during his tenure as the coach from 2005 to 2010. The 43-year-old’s contract is valid till the 2015 50-over World Cup. ANI