Mickey Arthur not the enemy, says former South African skipper Sacked Australian cricket Coach Mickey Arthur arruvubg in Perth from Johannesburg. Picture: Kerris Berrington. FORMER South African skipper Johan Botha insists axed boss Mickey Arthur is no Ashes saboteur while his success steering the Proteas to cricket supremacy was forgotten in a premature Australian exit. Botha believes nice guy Arthur didn't leak confidential court documents revealing team disharmony in Michael Clarke's side ahead of a conciliation hearing with Cricket Australia at the Fair Work Commission in Sydney yesterday. Arthur, 45, is today hoping for a 'reasonable solution' to his unfair dismissal claim against CA which involves up to $4 million compensation or reinstatement. However the leaking of sensitive papers lodged with the FWC on July 12 which detailed Test skipper Clarke labelling former deputy Shane Watson a cancer on the team prompted Arthur to suspect a deliberate campaign being waged against him. "I don't think knowing Mickey, he would have brought all of that out," said Botha. It has probably hurt his chances if coaching any state teams down here. I don't know what he will do now. As revealed in The Advertiser last week, Australia's Ashes campaign could be further rocked if the Arthur case reaches the federal court. Arthur's legal team reserves the right to call up players including key protagonists Clarke and former vice-captain Shane Watson to give evidence. "Going from coaching one of the top teams in the world to not being a coach at all is quite sad," said Botha of Arthur, who submits he was discriminated against on the grounds of his South African heritage. You never know all the behind the scenes things that were going on. It was on Arthur's watch that Botha captained South Africa to a one-day series victory in Australia during February 2009, the same summer Graeme Smith's Test unit recorded an historic series triumph over Ricky Ponting's side. Arthur led the Proteas to the No.1 Test ranking in a five-year tenure until 2010 but Botha said more than 18 months was needed to rebuild an Australian side deprived of legends Michael Hussey and Ponting. "I have worked with Mickey and he did a really good job with us and all the guys in the team enjoyed him," said Botha of Arthur who replaced Tim Nielsen as Australian coach in November 2011. I thought he would have made it through the first Ashes series at least. It was a bit of a surprise, these days people want results and that is the way of the world. Successor Darren Lehmann is seen as better fit for a developing Australian side - an astute cricket educator who won't tolerate ill-discipline. Arthur is a renowned man-manager which worked well with a hardened Proteas outfit but Botha said his former boss was also up to a difficult task with Australia. I think coaches adapt, I think he would have summed up his group and been fine. In South Africa he had a strong captain and leader in Graeme Smith. He would have known coming over here would have had to take on a more senior roll.