Misbah likely to take a call on his future on Friday

Image
Press Trust of India Karachi
Last Updated : Jun 15 2016 | 9:57 PM IST
Long-serving captain of Pakistan Test side, Misbah-ul-Haq is expected to make a clear announcement about his future on Friday before the national team embarks on its challenging tour to England.
Misbah, 42, was compelled by the Pakistan Cricket Board not to retire from Test cricket late last year and lead the team on the England tour and a PCB official said the captain now wanted to clearly outline his future plans before leaving for England.
"Misbah will officially announce it in press or would convey it to the board till Friday of till when he wants to continue playing international cricket," he said.
Misbah had retired from one-day internationals last year after the World Cup and from the international T20 format even before that but continues to play test cricket.
His critics and supporters believe that the tour to England will define Misbah's place in Pakistan cricket history as Pakistan in the last four to five years has played its home series in the United Arab Emirates on generally flat pitches.
Ironically, Misbah was not part of the Pakistan squad that went to England in late 2010 for a tour which saw the infamous spot-fixing scandal erupt in the fourth and final Test at Lords.
But it was after that tour that PCB decided to appoint Misbah as Test captain, a position he has held until now.
The 42-year has not played a Test in England until now and his deputy Azhar Ali, is the only batsman from the current batting lineup who played the Lord's Test.
But Misbah made it clear he remained confident about the team's chances in England as it boosted a strong bowling line up and a confident batting line up.
"Our batting line is way more experienced than the side which toured England in 2010. Results will be better."
Misbah admitted that the English pace attack posed a serious challenge for the Pakistani batsmen in their home conditions but said the batsmen have been told they must be prepared to stand up and be counted.
"Facing the England pace attack will be the biggest challenge for Pakistan. We've been preparing for since the past month. Batsmen need to be well-disciplined against the England attack."
Misbah has twice led Pakistan to Test series wins over England in 2012, completing a 3-0 whitewash and last year as well but both series were played in UAE.
He said Pakistan has a good opportunity to leave a historic mark in the series.
Misbah said Pakistan had two potential match-winning bowlers in Muhammad Aamir and leg-spinner, Yasir Shah while the other bowlers were also capable of taking regular wickets.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 15 2016 | 9:57 PM IST

Next Story