Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur wanted to commit suicide after loss to India

Pakistan's coach Mickey Arthur is known for being passionate and emotional. His thoughts are rather transparent when Pakistan is on the field thanks to his highly-expressive body language. It is no wonder therefore, that he seemed as affected by all the shrill criticism coming the way of his team as the players would have been.

Arthur was the man who turned up for the post-match press conference after his team's triumph over South Africa. He lambasted the critics who had been targeting his team and said the players were very badly affected by all the poison being spewed.

But there was one revelation about the effect of this negativity in the media on himself that, though made as a casual aside, was rather shocking. While answering a question about the South African team and explaining the difficulties faced by a side going through a tough phase, the South African coach of Pakistan said: "It happens so quickly, you lose a game, you lose another game, it's a World Cup, the media scrutiny, public expectations, and then, you almost go into survival mode. I mean, we've all been there. Last Sunday, I wanted to commit suicide."

The part about wanting to commit suicide should scare everyone. It is very possible that Arthur was not fully serious when he said this. Maybe, it was an exaggeration. But the fact that he even mentioned this is an indicator of the extreme pressure that must have been on him after the disaster against India.

This is also an important lesson for critics. Yes, when the team performs badly, there is a need to point out the errors, but sometimes, the words are so poisonous, they can have a much more serious impact on players and support staff than a loss in a game should occasion. Hopefully, Pakistani media would learn from this experience.