Politics has to be kept out of sport: Misbah on Indo-Pak ties

Pakistan's Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said that if people want resumption of bilateral cricket ties between Pakistan and India than politics has to be kept out of the sport.
"As a player I would like to play against India. I would want to captain our side against them. But unless politics is kept away from cricket than there can't be a resumption of bilateral ties," Misbah told reporters here.
The long-serving captain despite leading Pakistan since 2010 in Tests, is yet to play in a Test against India although he has captained the side against the arch-rivals in limited over matches but at neutral venues.

India has not played a proper bilateral Test series against Pakistan since 2007 when Misbah toured India with the national side.
Misbah said that Pakistan had always pushed for resumption of bilateral ties but unfortunately the response from India had not been the same.
BCCI President Anurag Thakur's recently said there was no question of playing against Pakistan in the current scenario and that has not gone down well with the Pakistani cricket fans and former players.

Jason Holder has now faced eight defeats in 11 Tests as
captain but he feels there are signs of improvement.
"It is a young and inexperienced squad so it will take time to get the results we have been looking for. We have been in the position of inconsistency for the last number of years so I don't feel any pressure," said Holder, who was appointed captain last year.

"I am here to do a job and I am trying to do as best as possible.
"It's almost a decade since we have been struggling. We are in a situation where we are trying to get things right.
"It will take some time for these boys to get nourished and developed and we have to give them that opportunity to do so.
"If you have watched our cricket for the last couple of months then we have shown signs of improvement."
West Indies lost the first Test by 56 runs in Dubai, but still fought hard in both the matches, batting for 109 and 108 overs respectively in the fourth innings of the two Tests.