Misbah wants PCB-player equation to be stable

Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq says he isn't too happy with the Islamabad High Court's decision to curtail the powers of caretaker Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi, and said he would always want equations between the board and the players to be stable.

He believes that he had struck up a good relationship with both Sethi, a well-known liberal journalist and TV anchor, and manager Moin Khan, and felt that the arrangement was good for board-palyer equations.

Sethi was asked to head the PCB by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last year, but his powers were seriously curtailed by the Islamabad High Court. This meant his decision to name Moin as the new chief selector was reversed by the court. Sethi responded by making him the manager.

In an interview to the Dawn, Misbah said he does not appreciate the instability created by the court's decision.

He said such incidents affect the morale of the squad, and it was not a healthy precedent to see a good relationship being neutralised.

Sethi has since been removed as PCB chairman, and replaced by Zaka Ashraf.

Misbah believes that players now are acquiring a more professional veneer, which is a good sign for the future.

According to the Dawn, Misbah has a quiet, but strong presence that demands a lot of physical and mental space around him.

During the interview, no player or official attempted to even come close to the area where he was being interviewed.

It was only after the interview ended that the players gravitated towards him.