CHAMPIONS TROPHY
Arthur shoves critics after humiliating defeat
Birmingham — Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur conceded his team were woeful in the Champions Trophy defeat against India, but said it was an insult to suggest the squad had regressed under him. One of the most eagerly awaited matches of the tournament was a damp squib on Sunday as India dominated every aspect of a stop-start, rain-interrupted 124-run victory. "That’s a total insult to say we’re playing even worse," said the South African, who took on the role a little more than a year ago, after his team succumbed meekly at a packed Edgbaston ground. "If you have a look at our records over the last year, we’ve won two series. We’ve got ourselves from nine to No8 [in the ODI rankings] and our brand of cricket has changed." Pakistan won the toss, but nothing else went right for them as they dropped catches, persisted with bowlers who bled runs and folded inside 34 overs with the bat. "We had a poor game," Arthur added. "But we’re obviously trying our best and we’re trying to change it. It...
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