Final words on 'Ignorantgate'

There is mounting pressure on Mickey Arthur at the moment, although he will probably be oblivious to this, being away in Canada at their ten-over competition.

I'm still not expecting any change at Derbyshire, because I feel the county has backed into a corner from which it will be difficult to extricate itself. 

But the Head of Cricket needs to take ownership of the current situation at the county. 

When he arrived he was bullish. He remains so, it's what he does. But remember when he told supporters to judge him when he had HIS team? 

Well, every player who turned out for the county in 2026 was either signed by or given a contract extension by Mickey Arthur. By extension, we must assume he has got HIS team and so it was only fair for 'ignorant' supporters to judge him on that basis. 

People are entitled to those opinions, as long as expressed without undue hostility or rudeness. That's where I come in on here, filtering anything inappropriate (though there hasn't been much) and ensuring criticism is valid.

Again Mickey told us that he intends to reflect but he has had success around the world and, if he keeps doing what he has always done, it will come at Derbyshire. The timescale wasn't mentioned and I would quite like not to be in a care home by that stage..

He is neglecting the fact that his success has come as cricket supremo at national level. He hasn't had to develop players, he merely picked the best of those developed by others. If they didn't do the business, it was simply a case of sending them back for someone to mend and picking someone else. The cricket equivalent of a trolley dash, perhaps, where you ensure you pick up the good stuff.

I would argue that is a considerably different and in some respects easier gig than that of a bona fide county coach. There, you have to develop players, nurture them, celebrate the good times and help them through the bad, build them up and keep them focused. John Wright said as much, comparing his time at Kent and his time in charge of India. 'I just need to make sure all the practice balls are there', said John in his trademark deadpan style. There's not much you can tell Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly and Sehwag, after all.

But at this stage the overwhelming evidence is that Mickey doesn't have that county coach skill set. If he had, surely we would have seen the evidence in five years? There might have been a more obvious pathway to the senior ranks than there is? We might have seen Nick Potts emerge before he was 24 and Rory Haydon get opportunity in something other than adversity?

He cannot expect supporters to be happy, after five years when progress has been akin to that of an especially arthritic snail on bumpy terrain. Many judged him after three years, a few more after four and the rest now, after five. He was silly to use the word 'ignorant'. And I am choosing my words wisely, because like many others I am not ignorant...

My concern is that if he is talking in such disparaging terms about supporters, what is he saying within the confines of the dressing room? There have been a couple of incidents within his tenure that suggests it might not always be pleasant and those who have heard him berating the team after a loss have been quite shocked.

Is that what you would call a productive environment? I wouldn't and while I appreciate that tempers can fray in any work situation, how a manager deals with it largely dictates the ethos and productivity of it. 

The best managers keep people on an even keel, they are fair, easy to talk to and responsive to challenges. If Mickey is losing his cool with players, he has shown he cannot then switch persona and give good interviews. For that matter, nor should he try to. 

Cliff Gladwin was volatile and anyone who dropped a catch off him got the sharp end of his tongue. But it was forgotten as soon as they went off the pitch. Eddie Barlow never lost his temper, but after a bad performance would tell his team they would talk about it tomorrow, with clear heads, away from the heat of the moment.

Cricketers are no different to anyone else. They know when they have had a bad day and don't need someone berating them, as they don't do it deliberately. 

Maybe that's the way forward. Providing a more relaxed, nurturing, encouraging environment in which players are encouraged to express themselves. Dermot Reeve was very good at this and people produce their best when unafraid of the consequences of their worst. Maybe Mickey stays out of the dressing room and leaves the pep talks to the other coaches, who strike me as more level-headed, easy-going guys, ones you would strive to impress. Focus on recruitment, talent-spotting, contracts and leave the inter-personal stuff to those who are better at it.

I'm not going to write about this again, my life is too short. Honestly, I think Mickey could take a chainsaw to the crooked spire at Chesterfield and get away with it. But I will maintain to my last breath that giving him a two-year extension was one of the most illogical things the club has ever done. 

Players might want to play for Mickey Arthur, but if you provide the right environment and pay the going price, most of them will go for the opportunity, regardless of the coach.

Plenty of good players came through the doors before Mickey. 

And they will do so long after he's gone.