Riaz credits Arthur for instilling `fearless` approach in limited-overs

Karachi [Pakistan], Sept.27 (ANI): Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has heaped praise on head coach Mickey Arthur, saying that the latter has instilled a "fearless" approach to the country's limited-over cricket by elevating it according to the modern requirements. The former South African cricketer was appointed as the successor of Waqar Younis, who stepped down from the position following a disastrous World Twenty20 campaign in India this year. In Arthur's first assignment as Pakistan head coach, the Misbah-ul-Haq-led team settled with a historic draw in the Test series against England, which eventually also helped them to surge to the top of the world rankings in the longest format of the game. Pakistan, however, suffered a humiliating 1-4 defeat in the recent ODI series against England, following which the coach warned that there would be no place for underperforming players in the squad. Insisting that Arthur had brought in the required confidence in the team, Riaz said that the head coach is focused on the efforts of the players and that is what all he demands from them. "What [Arthur] requires is the effort, which I would say is the main thing he has brought.We know the kind of cricket we are playing, we are still behind the other teams, but what he started to bring in is a kind of confidence and that kind of fearlessness that our batters take the bowlers on and our bowlers take the batters on," Wahab was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. The 31-year-old also revealed that Arthur had communicated the message to the players that if they put their absolute best then he was ready to support them regardless of the results. Riaz also insisted that the glimpse of Arthur's influence in the team could be seen in the one-off T20I against England and in the first two matches of the ongoing series against West Indies in the UAE. Earlier, Pakistan had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 series against the Caribbean side following their 16-run win in the second match in Dubai. (ANI)