Mickey Arthur was like a father to Sri Lanka players, disappointed he is leaving: Karunaratne

Mickey Arthur has been one of the most influential coaches. Irrespective of his shortcomings, he has made it a habit to inspire his troops. It would be appropriate to say that he did the same with the Sri Lankan cricket team, at least that is what Sri Lanka’s Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne feels.

It is safe to say that he had a fairly decent tenure as the coach of Sri Lanka. Another important point to be noted is the fact that the former South African cricketer had spent much of the pandemic in Sri Lanka while borders were closed. While his stint as Sri Lanka’s coach wasn’t the greatest , he did help his players grow.

Under him, The island nation saw an upward spiral in terms of their performances in the recent past. However, he is leaving Sri Lanka for a “head of cricket” role with Derbyshire, despite having wanted to stay on. Several Sri Lankan cricketers wrote emotional messages on social media after Mickey Arthur announced his decision to relinquish his post as the chief coach.

He’s a very good coach, I’m disappointed he’s leaving us: Dimuth Karunaratne

The two-Test series against the West Indies is going to be the final assignment for Arthur with the Sri Lankan team. Ahead of the Test series, their Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne had heaps of praises for his coach. The opener praised him for his influence and contributions.

“Mickey’s a different kind of coach – he’s someone who builds a lot of confidence,” Karunaratne said. “When you get to this level, more than skills, it’s your mental side and your preparation that’s important. Mickey treats each player differently.” he added.

The Test skipper of Sri Lanka also said that Arthur was like a father to Sri Lanka’s players. “He’s a father to some, a friend to others, He knows how to handle each player. He’s built a lot of confidence in the team. We saw a lot of players come through under him, and we saw players who were already good get better while he was around. He’s a very good coach. I’m disappointed he’s leaving us. Actually, as players, we’re very sad. But I’m sure he’ll be of great service to Derbyshire.” Karunaratne said. Thus, the Sri Lankan players would love to win this series and give their coach a fitting send off.