"What the system has done to us is that after one very poor game, you really battle to recover again"
Friday 5 July 2019 20:33, UK
Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur believes his team should be preparing for a World Cup semi-final, rather than going home.
New Zealand pipped Pakistan to a last-four spot on net run-rate, despite Pakistan beating the Black Caps and ending their World Cup campaign with a 94-run victory over Bangladesh on Friday to finish level on 11 points with New Zealand.
Arthur told the press after Pakistan's win over Bangladesh he felt that teams level on points at the end of the group stage should initially be separated by head-to-head results.
"I would have liked the ICC to consider head to head because tonight we would be in the semi-final," said Arthur. "It is disappointing, and it just goes back to our first game [a heavy defeat] against the West Indies.
"And we had an opportunity to beat Australia, and we didn't take that. Those are the two nightmares I'm going to have.
"What the system has done to us is that after one very poor game, you really battle to recover again.
"So it's a very disappointed dressing room, no congratulations going on because we haven't qualified.
"Congratulations to the four who have, I think they've played the best cricket so far and may the best team win.
"But it is nice for us to sit here and know we've beaten two of those teams [England and New Zealand] which shows we're not a mile off in terms of ourselves as a cricket team."
Arthur's contract is now set to expire, but the former South Africa and Australia coach has suggested he would like to continue in the role.
"There's going to be a review now and we'll see how that goes," said Arthur. "If I were to leave, my message again is 'let's stay positive'. We've got some very young cricketers who are going to be champion players, so let's back them."
"This has been very, very fulfilling for me. I've enjoyed every moment of the last three years.
"I'm very passionate about these boys and Pakistan cricket."
Watch every match at the Cricket World Cup live on Sky Sports, continuing with Sri Lanka vs India from 10am on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup and Australia vs South Africa from 1pm on Sky Sports Mix.
