“Whoever the board appoints as captain will face problems” : Misbah-ul-Haq

[SL_Fan]

Pakistan Test captain Misbahul Haq on Wednesday told Pakistani fans to be consistent in their analysis of the team and drop double standards.

Misbah was talking to the media in Faisalabad when he said that everyone wanted him to stay for the tours of New Zealand and Australia but after series losses they are telling him to step down.

“I was considering retirement a year ago but everyone told me to stay for the tours [against New Zealand and Australia], but now, that we have lost, they are telling me that I should be ashamed of myself and leave cricket,” said Misbah.

“Everyone tries their best. People forget the good that was done in the last six years after we lost a few matches. The fans need to consistent in their approach too, otherwise, they should not expect consistency from players,” he added.

Pakistan were outplayed by New Zealand and Australia in their last Test outings – a 2-0 loss to the Kiwis and a 3-0 loss to the Kangaroos – and Misbah says, in the recent cricketing scenario, everyone outclasses visitors at home.

“Every team performs well in their home conditions. Like we beat teams in the UAE, Australia and New Zealand beat us in their home conditions. However, it’s not that we never won on a tour. We drew the series against England in their home conditions,” said Misbah.

Misbah also countered the critics who said Pakistan became world number one in Tests by beating everyone in the UAE. “Look at India! they are number one because no one can beat them in India. They topped Test rankings by playing in their own country. So, no credits should be taken away from Pakistan too.”

Misbah was on the receiving end of criticism by former players who think his time at the helm is over. However, Misbah, who is 42 years old, said that every captain will face problems when leading Pakistan.

“Whoever the board appoints as captain will face problems,” said the right-hand batsman. “We need to improve our domestic cricket first. And secondly, we need to give our youngsters confidence by sending them on tours to countries like Australia, South Africa and England to get accustomed to their conditions. You cannot expect a player to go there after a big gap and perform – it’s wrong on them.”

On the question of who he thinks should replace him as captain in Tests, Misbah said: “The board can name anyone who they deem is right for the job. I will not name anyone to replace me.”

Former Pakistan T20I captain Shahid Afridi has on many occasions said that Pakistan is producing any talented cricketers and Misbah resonated the all-rounder’s sentiment but with reason.

“We are not producing talented players because the domestic structure is flawed,” explained Misbah. “And, meanwhile, if we are producing talent, there is a dearth of grooming them in accordance with international standards.”

Misbah also denied claims that the selection committee did not do a good job. “The selection committee gave us the best possible team. But, at times, players do not perform due to a number of reasons.”

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[Zeshan547]

What is if onto, yeah everyone asked him to stay for ANZ tour because that made sense at that time because we needed a calm head to for that tough tour because there was no one better for this role than him but it was understood that it will or should be his last tour regardless of the outcome. Because not the toughest tours are over and it's ideal time to move on both for pakistani team and misbah himself. Otherwise he has nothing to offer, and is complete burden on team both as batsman and captain. And for misbah himself this will only hurt his legacy.

 

[kingusama92]

Spot on.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

It was the right decision, but he was utterly poor on tour and deserves criticism for that.

 

[badsha001]

Someone should have asked what was his average during the newzeland and Australia tour... He should just retire right now but why would u quit rite now when u can milk the pcb for another few months and get paid under A category.

 

[Gilly]

Any professional cricket knows when it comes to retirement you are better to retire when people say why did you retire instead of why didn't you retire.

Its not the fans or the media or friends, its you Misbah you are the one that makes the decision and its you that wears the consequences of those decisions. Man up and retire or shut up and play.

 

[cricket.mad]

//“I was considering retirement a year ago but everyone told me to stay for the tours [against New Zealand and Australia], but now, that we have lost, they are telling me that I should be ashamed of myself and leave cricket,” said Misbah.//

I think he follows PP. .it's here I have seen people criticizing misbah in such a harsh manner and using the words like 'should be ashamed' etc

 

[shariqnoor]

He's absolutely right. 90% of the people here on PP were pleading him to remain till the Aus/NZ tours and now they are branding him as selfish and should've retired after the England series. Hypocritical. Yes he had a very poor series against Australia but what about the six years of fruit that the team had given us under his captaincy. We got to number 1 under his captaincy. Appreciate his effort for god's sake. UAE or not, the guy won matches. Accord him some respect. If every Tom, Dick and Harry can win in the UAE as is professed by the majority of posters here and his captaincy wasn't anything special in the UAE, then I will make a prediction right now. The new captain we will have will win nothing for a long time in the UAE. Our undefeated streak in the UAE (6 years) will be broken at the first instance when a new team comes to the UAE and we don't have Misbah as captain. Just wait and watch and then we will appreciate the captaincy of Misbah in the UAE.

Misbah had a horrendous Australian series but can we give him some credit for his batting for the past 6 years? This was probably the first series where he utterly failed with the bat. But look at his batting averages since he was made captain:

2010: 57.75
2011: 69.54
2012: 41.57
2013: 54.23
2014: 57.46
2015: 47.38
2016: 31.94
2017: 28.00

Just one bad year i.e. 2016 and people butcher him for both his batting and captaincy. Such an ungrateful nation.

 

[Shafi]

So basically he wants to stay for another 3-4 years. Why did not he say that? Why made a big drama ahead of Sydney test? And he is the main reason for selecting older players ahead of youngsters, recommend Azhar as ODI captain. Unless PCB is stand tough, this guy will never retire. PCB should drop him for ever. We will never see even players like Sanga, Jaya, Dilshan who retired gracefully instead of being burden,

 

[Shafi]

He's absolutely right. 90% of the people here on PP were pleading him to remain till the Aus/NZ tours and now they are branding him as selfish and should've retired after the England series. Hypocritical. Yes he had a very poor series against Australia but what about the six years of fruit that the team had given us under his captaincy. We got to number 1 under his captaincy. Appreciate his effort for god's sake. UAE or not, the guy won matches. Accord him some respect. If every Tom, Dick and Harry can win in the UAE as is professed by the majority of posters here and his captaincy wasn't anything special in the UAE, then I will make a prediction right now. The new captain we will have will win nothing for a long time in the UAE. Our undefeated streak in the UAE (6 years) will be broken at the first instance when a new team comes to the UAE and we don't have Misbah as captain. Just wait and watch and then we will appreciate the captaincy of Misbah in the UAE.

Misbah had a horrendous Australian series but can we give him some credit for his batting for the past 6 years? This was probably the first series where he utterly failed with the bat. But look at his batting averages since he was made captain:

2010: 57.75
2011: 69.54
2012: 41.57
2013: 54.23
2014: 57.46
2015: 47.38
2016: 31.94
2017: 28.00

Just one bad year i.e. 2016 and people butcher him for both his batting and captaincy. Such an ungrateful nation.

So how long you want him to stay? next 5 years

 

[shariqnoor]

So how long you want him to stay? next 5 years

I never said that. I'm just miffed at the way people have behaved towards him as if he is a dark stain on our cricket. Personally I think he should retire and be done with but we should be respectful of his achievements and what he has contributed to Pakistan cricket. Not that hard of a demand.

 

[Black Zero]

Everyone now asking you to retire so why do not you retire
.
You have double standards.

 

[shariqnoor]

So basically he wants to stay for another 3-4 years. Why did not he say that? Why made a big drama ahead of Sydney test? And he is the main reason for selecting older players ahead of youngsters, recommend Azhar as ODI captain. Unless PCB is stand tough, this guy will never retire. PCB should drop him for ever. We will never see even players like Sanga, Jaya, Dilshan who retired gracefully instead of being burden,

So recommending someone is also a crime now put on Misbah? Misbah didn't make Azhar captain of the ODI team. If you have an issue with Azhar as ODI captain, then have a dig at PCB who made him captain. And now Misbah is a burden on us? 6 months ago he was the darling of PakPassion and now he is a burden? Wow. Thank God there was no social media back in 1992 world cup. Otherwise Imran Khan would be taken to the gallows here when we were 2 wins from 5-6 matches. Imran couldn't bat, couldn't bowl, couldn't field up til that point. Would have loved PP reaction then.

 

[Markhor]

He's absolutely right. 90% of the people here on PP were pleading him to remain till the Aus/NZ tours and now they are branding him as selfish and should've retired after the England series. Hypocritical. Yes he had a very poor series against Australia but what about the six years of fruit that the team had given us under his captaincy. We got to number 1 under his captaincy. Appreciate his effort for god's sake. UAE or not, the guy won matches. Accord him some respect. If every Tom, Dick and Harry can win in the UAE as is professed by the majority of posters here and his captaincy wasn't anything special in the UAE, then I will make a prediction right now. The new captain we will have will win nothing for a long time in the UAE. Our undefeated streak in the UAE (6 years) will be broken at the first instance when a new team comes to the UAE and we don't have Misbah as captain. Just wait and watch and then we will appreciate the captaincy of Misbah in the UAE.

People forget before our move to the UAE our home Test record in Pakistan was patchy. We lost to Sri Lanka and England in 2000, India in 2004 and South Africa in 2007. So our UAE record isn't something to be dismissed.

I'm not defending his captaincy in the Australia series, Misbah made some poor decisions. However some want to believe all that ails Pakistan cricket is due to Misbah.

The reason we're not producing fluent strokeplayers isn't because Misbah demands everyone tuk tuks but due to damp, slow, low domestic pitches that encourage survival. We produce batsman that are technically flawed and ill-equipped for international cricket because the quality of grassroots coaching is poor. Fielding and fitness issues have been there for decades. We've a generation of fast bowlers who don't know how to use the new ball as they can simply rely on the excessively seam friendly conditions in FC cricket.

Our A team hardly ever tour countries like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand so our youngsters don't get exposure to foreign conditions. Even our national team only tours these countries every 5-6 years. If we don't fix these systemic issues then any future Pakistan skipper will struggle.

 

[Shafi]

So recommending someone is also a crime now put on Misbah? Misbah didn't make Azhar captain of the ODI team. If you have an issue with Azhar as ODI captain, then have a dig at PCB who made him captain. And now Misbah is a burden on us? 6 months ago he was the darling of PakPassion and now he is a burden? Wow. Thank God there was no social media back in 1992 world cup. Otherwise Imran Khan would be taken to the gallows here when we were 2 wins from 5-6 matches. Imran couldn't bat, couldn't bowl, couldn't field up til that point. Would have loved PP reaction then.

In 1992 Imran was finished as a cricketer but still had a thoughtful mind to lead the team like a real leader unlike Misbah who surrender once opposition attack our bowlers.
If Misbah was too scared to put Azhar in his ODI team back then, why did he recommend Azhar for ODI captaincy.Misbah did a great job in UAE and England and he could retire with honor after that. No point to hang around for another 3-4 years same goes for Malik, Hafeez.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Misbah its first time in history of pakistan cricket that we have lost six test matches in a row. Losing against the west indies side in a test match should be declared a crime in law but again we lost a test match to zimbabwe in 2013. The only press conference now i am interested in which you announce your retirement.

 

[Syed1]

So Misbah bhai doesn't want any criticism even though he lost us six matches on the trot and utterly surrendered in NZ and Aus, where he was batting worse than a schoolboy and the less said about his captaincy the better. This is what happens when you put okay cricketers on a pedestal.

 

[shariqnoor]

People forget before our move to the UAE our home Test record in Pakistan was patchy. We lost to Sri Lanka and England in 2000, India in 2004 and South Africa in 2007. So our UAE record isn't something to be dismissed.

I'm not defending his captaincy in the Australia series, Misbah made some poor decisions. However some want to believe all that ails Pakistan cricket is due to Misbah.

The reason we're not producing fluent strokeplayers isn't because Misbah demands everyone tuk tuks but due to damp, slow, low domestic pitches that encourage survival. We produce batsman that are technically flawed and ill-equipped for international cricket because the quality of grassroots coaching is poor. Fielding and fitness issues have been there for decades. We've a generation of fast bowlers who don't know how to use the new ball as they can simply rely on the excessively seam friendly conditions in FC cricket.

Our A team hardly ever tour countries like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand so our youngsters don't get exposure to foreign conditions. Even our national team only tours these countries every 5-6 years. If we don't fix these systemic issues then any future Pakistan skipper will struggle.

Yep. Totally agree. Misbah's captaincy wasn't up to scratch and his batting was horrendous. However, Misbah is not the bane of Pakistan cricket as these posters here make him out to be. Right now people are looking for scapegoats and Misbah is the biggest scapegoat they can find. They won't say a word about Mickey Arthur because he's not Waqar Younis and he's untouchable right now in their eyes.

The problem in our cricket is not Misbah but our domestic. If anybody thinks Misbah is responsible for our decline in our Test cricket, please make a bet with me that with the new skipper in place we will decline even further. You have seen nothing yet. UAE fortress will be breached and the people who cheer Sarfraz as the dynamic Test captain that we need will be hurling negativities at Sarfraz in a few months time when he fails miserably.

 

[shaz619]

I agree with Misbah on majority of what he has said and it's unfortunate when his legacy in general is being judged based on these losses in AUS because he has done a lot of good work for Pakistan cricket; reaching no.1 and drawing level in England was an incredible achievement. We also have taken our record in UAE for granted which prevents him from truly being appreciated for our undefeated record there.

However, am not sure if it's a good thing that Misbah wants to continue at this stage of his career. It made sense for him to continue on these tough tours of AUS/NZ and regardless of how well we'd have done in terms of end series result it's logical for him to retire in order to invest in the future. But he is a figure of high esteem and has earned the right to go out of his own accord, India still displayed Sachin Tendulkar respect and stuck with him despite him averaging around 30 in the last 2 years of his Test career.

Misbah has had a bad year in 2016 and no he will not be hanging around like Tendulkar for another 2 years but the man is driven by the need to prove his doubters wrong and challenge; it is something which Misbah had been motivated by in since his early days. At university he'd lose table tennis matches to a friend but he'd force him to stay until he beat him emphatically, Misbah probably wants to go out on a high. I question the decision but understand it.

 

[sshakir411]

please don't ask the fans to be consistent...too hard of an ask, sir.

 

[MenInG]

So Misbah bhai doesn't want any criticism even though he lost us six matches on the trot and utterly surrendered in NZ and Aus, where he was batting worse than a schoolboy and the less said about his captaincy the better. This is what happens when you put okay cricketers on a pedestal.

Criticism is one thing, hysteria is another.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

“I was considering retirement a year ago but everyone told me to stay for the tours [against New Zealand and Australia], but now, that we have lost, they are telling me that I should be ashamed of myself and leave cricket,” said Misbah

You wanted to leave an year ago- yes, but PCB requested you to stay and finish the tough tours before you go - yes. And now tours are finished whats the problem not to leave, nobody is stopping you, why not leave..

“We need to improve our domestic cricket first. And secondly, we need to give our youngsters confidence by sending them on tours to countries like Australia, South Africa and England to get accustomed to their conditions. You cannot expect a player to go there after a big gap and perform – it’s wrong on them.”

Achcha.. If you stay and keep blocking the way for an youngster how to send them to tough tours?... Stop blabbering and please retire..

“We are not producing talented players because the domestic structure is flawed,” explained Misbah. “And, meanwhile, if we are producing talent, there is a dearth of grooming them in accordance with international standards.”

Copycat from afridi.. he also said the same thing when he was expected to retire from T20I after the WT20. Now you are doing the same... PCB should do what it did to Shahid afridi , if they didnt then it is very unfair on Afridi...

 

[MRSN]

You wanted to leave an year ago- yes, but PCB requested you to stay and finish the tough tours before you go - yes. And now tours are finished whats the problem not to leave, nobody is stopping you, why not leave..



Achcha.. If you stay and keep blocking the way for an youngster how to send them to tough tours?... Stop blabbering and please retire..



Copycat from afridi.. he also said the same thing when he was expected to retire from T20I after the WT20. Now you are doing the same... PCB should do what it did to Shahid afridi , if they didnt then it is very unfair on Afridi...

if system was so bad then how come we produce players like Baber Azam as soon as he leaves the ODI team?

Does he remember Harris Sohail who is fit now and ready to be picked?

These are just pure excuses from so called gentleman.

 

[MRSN]

Criticism is one thing, hysteria is another.

five years of dreadful ODI cricket and boring test cricket, I think dedicated Pakistani fans like me would want more.

We have witnessed Pakistan cricket being left behind by everyone else even the BD team in the last five years. fans have every right to voice their opinions and show their frustration. They spend important part of their lives on cricket.

 

[Lynx]

I wonder where all these Misbah bashers were when he took us to number 1 just four months ago. Or when Pakistan were a fairly consistent side for the past 6 years. Had he chose to retire after the England series, the same people calling for his head now would have claimed he was running away from the toughest tour till date and abandoning his team. I salute the fickleness of this nation.

 

[MenInG]

five years of dreadful ODI cricket and boring test cricket, I think dedicated Pakistani fans like me would want more.

We have witnessed Pakistan cricket being left behind by everyone else even the BD team in the last five years. fans have every right to voice their opinions and show their frustration. They spend important part of their lives on cricket.

5 years of cricket where we were crowned Number 1 team in the Test world? Think about it.

 

[Rayyman]

So Misbah bhai doesn't want any criticism even though he lost us six matches on the trot and utterly surrendered in NZ and Aus, where he was batting worse than a schoolboy and the less said about his captaincy the better. This is what happens when you put okay cricketers on a pedestal.

He also indirectly appointed Azhar as captain. This decision wasted us 2 years of growth in ODIs.

 

[MRSN]

He also indirectly appointed Azhar as captain. This decision wasted us 2 years of growth in ODIs.

but he is innocent.

Why would a guy propose for a player to be captain of the team that he himself didn't want in the team for two years? can we see any logic here?

 

[MRSN]

5 years of cricket where we were crowned Number 1 team in the Test world? Think about it.

Lots of ifs and buts when we became no.1 sir. Who are you fooling? Why it took us just two tours to be back at no.6? If we were so successful and dominate in these years then two poor series should not have brought us this low. The reason we went up because other teams were on their away tours and we played majority of cricket in the UAE. It was only in 2016 that we faced a team out of UAE after 2013. That is 3 years of home cricket.

We haven't won any away series ever since 2011 against NZ..other than the one against a very weak SL side. We have failed to even win against Zimbabwe.

 

[Rayyman]

but he is innocent.

Why would a guy propose for a player to be captain of the team that he himself didn't want in the team for two years? can we see any logic here?

There is no logic. It's one of the most brainless selections in the history of Pak. cricket.

 

[ezy9]

i dont get why is he not announcing his retirement yet. People are more frustrated that he might be staying on after that 5-0 bashing.

Ideally PCB should have forced him or sacked him by now, but we all know they dont have any courage to take such a step. Had he retired right after the last test, people would have been a lot less critical than they have been recently.

 

[MMHS]

This is not good approach by Misbah - he is trying to justify his delay (not to retire), through a logic that universally true (struggle for a new Captain of an average team). If that's the case (struggle by a new Captain), then all it tells that he shouldn't have gone to ANZ tour - at least PAK would have got a better No. 5 than averaging <30 players. A new Captain couldn't have done worse than this 5-0, therefore not sure what's his point is here.

Still, I give him BoD for ANZ tour, but now what he is doing is absolutely selfish - does it mean that since anyone will struggle, Misbah should be kept there till 2020? I feel, he is abusing the well earned respect that he deserved - normally after this sort performance both as player & Captain, one should expect to be sacked & dropped (unless it's a minnow) - Misbah was honored to take his own decision & call it a day gracefully. Unfortunately, he couldn't raise above his personal glory at this age & trying to buy time through back door.

Posters are thinking he'll retire after WI (apparently after leading PAK to Test series win 1st time there), which I don't see happening - he is making grounds to prolong career beyond 2017 on same logic. After WI, PAK has enough soft matches at UAE to justify even MoYo or Gul on performance, hence there is every possibility that if he takes advantage of PCB's soft corner - he'll justify his decision to carry till 2018. Didn't expect this from the man pretending that he is carrying on only because PCB (Chairman) had asked him to do so. By now, I think there is enough courtesy call from every corner for him to call it a day - Misbah's legacy should be more dignified than dragging it such, till people start to call names. If he tells that from Wasim to Imran to Shahriar - what people has said being politically correct, he still can't understand the vibe; then I have o question his maturity & educational background.

Rest part of his comments are fine.

 

[Boi]

So at first Misbah wanted to retire because he wasn't sure he'd be upto the task out on these tough away tours but now that theres the carrot dangling in the form of a series against WI and a few easy series in the UAE he just can't seem to let go. I hope that isn't the case but from his comments that's the impression I'm getting.

 

[Choudhry_emad]

i see alot of people here have forgotten when Misbah came in & what he did for us, even with all the words said about him throughout.

Anyways, he is absolutely right! Name anyone the captain i don't care... will changing captain improve our fielding? Will it improve our opening batsmen? Will it improve the runrate we score at in limited overs? Will it give all the batsmen the game awareness needed for today's international cricket? Will it help our bowlers to stay behind the line & reduce extra's? Will it help us produce players who are actually ready for international level cricket? Many more questions!......

Our domestic cricket is shocking! Any player scoring there can fail on the big stage, PSL is a huge opportunity for Pakistan cricket, we need to put the best domestic talent on the test against international players..
Excited for PSL, all the news surrounding international team is shocking. If captain is going to change let it be that way, just announce it (no need for debates on talk shows)

 

[Saj]

Seems to me that Misbah is pointing at something 'off the field'.

Perhaps pointing the finger at the corridors of power at the PCB and the people who are making decisions and interfering.

 

[moghul]

Yes who ever boards appoints, hope it won't be you Mr Misbah-ul-Haq. You were a solution at one time but lately you have become a problem.

 

[Zeshan547]

We haven't forget any of your good achievements but we will for sure if you keep playing and keep showing this selfishness. What does you want to achieve now? Do you want to be the oldest cricketer to play cricket.

And meanwhile you will also acclaim title of worst and most selfish cricketer as well, so you will hit the birds with one stone. Leave all things aside, does you deserve to be in the team on the basis of your performance on ANZ tour?

Dear misbah if you think so then plz do carry on till whenever time you like. But really thought you were better than Afridi in this regard (retiring with some grace left) but it wasn't meant to be.

 

[MRSN]

This is not good approach by Misbah - he is trying to justify his delay (not to retire), through a logic that universally true (struggle for a new Captain of an average team). If that's the case (struggle by a new Captain), then all it tells that he shouldn't have gone to ANZ tour - at least PAK would have got a better No. 5 than averaging <30 players. A new Captain couldn't have done worse than this 5-0, therefore not sure what's his point is here.

Still, I give him BoD for ANZ tour, but now what he is doing is absolutely selfish - does it mean that since anyone will struggle, Misbah should be kept there till 2020? I feel, he is abusing the well earned respect that he deserved - normally after this sort performance both as player & Captain, one should expect to be sacked & dropped (unless it's a minnow) - Misbah was honored to take his own decision & call it a day gracefully. Unfortunately, he couldn't raise above his personal glory at this age & trying to buy time through back door.

Posters are thinking he'll retire after WI (apparently after leading PAK to Test series win 1st time there), which I don't see happening - he is making grounds to prolong career beyond 2017 on same logic. After WI, PAK has enough soft matches at UAE to justify even MoYo or Gul on performance, hence there is every possibility that if he takes advantage of PCB's soft corner - he'll justify his decision to carry till 2018. Didn't expect this from the man pretending that he is carrying on only because PCB (Chairman) had asked him to do so. By now, I think there is enough courtesy call from every corner for him to call it a day - Misbah's legacy should be more dignified than dragging it such, till people start to call names. If he tells that from Wasim to Imran to Shahriar - what people has said being politically correct, he still can't understand the vibe; then I have o question his maturity & educational background.

Rest part of his comments are fine.

Remember our 2013 away cycle? Thrashed by SA and took YK's brilliant double hundred to draw the test series against Zimbabwe where Misbah not only struggled to save his captaincy but place in the side as well as he was averaging around 20s.
What happened next? 3 years of easy home cricket for Misbah to pile up runs on dead roads and use spinners to young-inexperienced English and Aus batsmen for wins. I bet even Afridi would have been able to whitewash those Aus,English teams at home. Just look at English side tour in India. They are struggling to play spin even in the last T20 despite spending months playing the art.

The home records against current Aus-English teams should be taken with the pinch of salt.

 

[MRSN]

I just fail to understand the logic behind the players in the 40s continuing to play despite being horrible in the real away test..Now we have this cycle of home games and will face easy teams, it's the best time to bring in young blood. It's only selfish from Misbah and Yk to not leave the team. A better board would not even selected them and here we are looking at these statements coming from these players. Shows how much these senior players have power. PCB is surely clueless.

 

[MRSN]

Seems to me that Misbah is pointing at something 'off the field'.

Perhaps pointing the finger at the corridors of power at the PCB and the people who are making decisions and interfering.

very nice. So Misbah was sacked when he was the most unsuccessful ODI captain of the year with the worst stats as a player as well? despite 6-0 losses for test side with his average in the low 20s did PCB ask him to retire or resign? All I have been hearing is SHK and Inzi saying it's up to Misbah..then what 'off the field' things are you referring? Misbah should be the last person to even say such things.

 

[Sports_Psychologist]

Misbah please don't lose your grace!!! You're talking like Shehzad or Akmal...

Just accept the fact that you're getting old , your mind and reflexes aren't supporting you and that is resulting in bad performance and bad captaincy...

And when it comes to One day captaincy Sir though the team is as poor as it can get but its all about mentality a small hearted fella can never be a good leader anyone needs to take bold steps and aggressive decision to be a successful leader..

But Azhar never asked for captaincy to be given to him so Sir Misbah its your and your friend Waqar's fault that you've recommended a captain like Azhar...

The bad performance of the team is on you as well you never tried to establish players who can perform on any surfaces you just hung up onto the same bunch of guys your whole career and that resulted in bad ODI performance because the game had moved on and we got stuck onto the same bunch..

So please sir be as graceful as you've always been and just accept that you've done some mistakes as well and your career is at an end so please retire gracefully as a legend but not like this....please...

 

[Shafi]

As long as you get pay huge salary why should you worry.We are already doing great in ranking. 7 in T20, 8 in ODI, 6 in Test.

 

[waleed88]

Misbah is becoming very petty now...

I think losing his form has made him very irritable.. first sign that he is on a decline..

Misbah whenever as captain, has always performed, he's been one of the best performers of the side, its been a hallmark of his captaincy feature...

That trademark has now disappeared, the ever reliable Misbah ul Haq feels like a passenger..

Misbah is taking critcism to heart for the first time because he knows its true, his time is up, his moment to shine in the big series is gone... and he will never get it again

Otherwise Misbah of the past always stayed quiet becuase he had his stats to back up his claim, even in the September 2013, during his worst scrutiny period, he remained a champion performer and one of the highest run getters of the year

 

[ExpressPacer]

I agree with Misbah. To be honest, I'm really disappointed with cricket fans in general. Sure, yeah, he should have retired but all this criticism of him and all these comments are very disgraceful. Calling him "petty", "irritating" and this and that doesn't change the fact that he's been one of the bests players of Pakistan in the past 5 years and was the sole reason that Pakistan cricket was at No.1 ranking in Tests a couple of months ago. I maintain that rankings are extremely antagonistic towards Pakistan and that is why we have seen such a steep descend.

Any-who, I seriously hope Misbah does not call it a day yet because of a couple of reasons.

1) The first and most important one of them being the fact that I am 100% sure it will be the same people calling for him to lengthen his career when he hits a couple of centuries in West Indies.

2) Whether you like it or not, Pakistan does not have his replacement. I'm sorry to say this and I'm sorry if it hurts but this is the truth. The people setting domestic's alight are the same old KAkmal and Salman Butt. And if you think they are upgrades to Misbah, then I will refrain from commenting.

3) Misbah has worked hard to be where he is and escape that phase of where he had so much hatred. The best possible scenario for him was to retire after the Eng series with a huge fan base, but if he retires now, he will never be remembered in good names. I really hope that he receives that farewell series all stars dream of and to be honest, he deserves it.

One important thing I'd like to mention is that all these people saying that Misbah is doing wrong by not saying quiet or doing this or that need to realise he is not talking crap even when he is speaking. What he is saying are facts. Who was the last captain that did not face problems at the hands of the board? Heck, even the all loved Afridi was sacked by the board after the WC and even lost his position in the squad.

 

[Hasan123]

I am misbah fan but he should retire. There is nothing more for him to achieve. If he wanted to retire after the England tour, why is he so keen on staying on now after he has struggled for form and made poor captaincy decisions?

The problem is Misbah has held on for so long he has convinced others there is no better replacement for him in domestic. I am no fan of our domestic cricket but I'm sure our domestic system will have batsmen who are better players of pace than 42 year old Misbah Ul Haq.

Our test team needs to go in different direction, come England and South Africa 2018 we can not afford to have Younis and Misbah on these tours. I fear that both could play these tours.

 

[MRSN]

Misbah is becoming very petty now...

I think losing his form has made him very irritable.. first sign that he is on a decline..

Misbah whenever as captain, has always performed, he's been one of the best performers of the side, its been a hallmark of his captaincy feature...

That trademark has now disappeared, the ever reliable Misbah ul Haq feels like a passenger..

Misbah is taking critcism to heart for the first time because he knows its true, his time is up, his moment to shine in the big series is gone... and he will never get it again

Otherwise Misbah of the past always stayed quiet becuase he had his stats to back up his claim, even in the September 2013, during his worst scrutiny period, he remained a champion performer and one of the highest run getters of the year

remind me what was Misbah's average on the 2013 away cycle? the tours of Zim,SA...he also averages in the 20s in Sri Lanka. It's all normal for Misbah to look like a passenger in the team when the team is not playing in the UAE.

 

[Junaids]

Criticism is one thing, hysteria is another.

It's not hysteria.

It's almost completely irrelevant whether Misbah wanted to continue - although his increasingly desperate refusal to quit proves that he did.

The point is that his batting was appalling and his captaincy was absolutely dreadful. His fields and bowling strategies would not even have been tried by a school team in Australia.

Misbah has blocked the progress of younger batsmen for years. And his appallingly negative captaincy probably didn't just lose the NZ and Australia series, but also cost the Edgbaston Test and converted a 3-1 series win in England into a 2-2 draw.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Considering how strong he was in supporting azhar when he was appointed, this comment misbah comes across wheter intentionally or not as being very petty as everyone knows sarfraz will be made captain, and thats a repudiation of Misbah and Waqar

 

[Shafi]

Whether you like it or not, Pakistan does not have his replacement. I'm sorry to say this and I'm sorry if it hurts but this is the truth.

What was his contribution in Australia and NZ as batsman and captain? Any captain will not worse than loosing 6-0 in a row which includes 2nd string WI in home ground. We are capable of winning against Aus, NZ, WI, ENG, SL, BD without Misbah in UAE. In overseas Misbah is as good as passenger. So many times he keeps throwing his wicket even against average spinner

 

[Shafi]

I am misbah fan but he should retire. There is nothing more for him to achieve. If he wanted to retire after the England tour, why is he so keen on staying on now after he has struggled for form and made poor captaincy decisions?

SK I guess!!! He was the one who wanted Misbah to stay till 2018 regardless his performance. Now Misbah does not want to retire so as Azhar and it will be hard for SK to sack them.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

There is no logic. It's one of the most brainless selections in the history of Pak. cricket.

I hope they will learn a lesson and decide not to listen to him or take it serious on all the things that he says in the future especially regarding player talents and captaincy..

 

[ask_analyse_act]

I am misbah fan but he should retire. There is nothing more for him to achieve. If he wanted to retire after the England tour, why is he so keen on staying on now after he has struggled for form and made poor captaincy decisions?

The problem is Misbah has held on for so long he has convinced others there is no better replacement for him in domestic. I am no fan of our domestic cricket but I'm sure our domestic system will have batsmen who are better players of pace than 42 year old Misbah Ul Haq.

Our test team needs to go in different direction, come England and South Africa 2018 we can not afford to have Younis and Misbah on these tours. I fear that both could play these tours.

I'm ok with MYK playing and even captaining the team.. He is completely a different player and captain compared to MISBAH.. If he is made captain, ppl could even see how good he attacks the oppositions.. He is very shrewd when it comes to captaincy and in terms of fitness he can carry irfan and run around the ground for fun..

The players who are from the Waqar, Wasim era have taken fitness and fielding seriously back then, catches being dropped was kinda rare and considered unusual but now it is like a routine in every match...
That is why MYK, AFRIDI and MALIK stand above the rest when it comes to fitness and fielding.. Afridi was a bit relaxing in fitness only in his last few years after the back injury.

 

[Syed1]

I wonder where all these Misbah bashers were when he took us to number 1 just four months ago. Or when Pakistan were a fairly consistent side for the past 6 years. Had he chose to retire after the England series, the same people calling for his head now would have claimed he was running away from the toughest tour till date and abandoning his team. I salute the fickleness of this nation.

Yes we should revere Misbah for taking us to number one in the rankings for about a week by winning/drawing at home and getting favourable weather pattern in the Ind-WI series. Why is it that this same team has slid all the way down to number six under the captaincy of the same Misbah the great?


Shouldn't we also revere Misbah for taking us to number eight in the ODI rankings?


It goes both ways doesn't it? If you want to credit him for number one in the rankings you should also credit him for number six and eight in the rankings.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Seems to me that Misbah is pointing at something 'off the field'.

Perhaps pointing the finger at the corridors of power at the PCB and the people who are making decisions and interfering.

No he is just coming up with excuses, to hide his poor run of form in batting and poor captaincy decisions...

 

[waleed88]

remind me what was Misbah's average on the 2013 away cycle? the tours of Zim,SA...he also averages in the 20s in Sri Lanka. It's all normal for Misbah to look like a passenger in the team when the team is not playing in the UAE.

His knocks vs SA in South Africa, scored an 80 odd against SA to tie the series 2-2.. Don't remember the Zimbabwe series but he was our top and only scorer for us in Champions Trophy 2013 where your beloved Malik and Akmal failed badly..

He scored 3 50s against WI in the tour to WI as well in between this

In the returning series to SA late november 2013, scored a 60 odd in the final game.. his scores and performances in SA were generally very good

 

[Mamoon]

Misbah's frustrations are understandable, but he is not doing himself and the team any favours by letting his ego get the better of him. A lot of people are missing the point and have failed to understand the reasons behind his agitated behaviour lately.

Simply put, in hindsight, it is quite clear that he regrets not retiring on a high after the tour of England because he did not expect the ANZ tours to be so disastrous, both in terms of the results of the team and his individual performance. Had he scored runs like he did in England, he would still have been able to leave with his head high even if the team results would have been the same, but he proved to be one of Pakistan's worst players.

He fears for his legacy because in Pakistan, you are pretty much as good as your last performance. The successful summer of 2016 and the ascendency to the number one ranking is not fresh in people's memory anymore but his record-breaking losing streak as captain (6 consecutive defeats) continues to cast its shadow. He doesn't want to walk away with such a dark last memory and is thus, looking for an opportunity to retire on a high.

He thinks the the Caribbean tour is a suitable stage to sign off with a win, but he needs to realize that winning that series does nothing for his legacy and it is an ideal opportunity to let his successor take charge. It is clearly not going to help him restore the lost dignity. In fact, it will only make things worse for him and his defenders.

Misbah needs to calm down and take a holistic, long-term view. Yes in the short-term, he will be remembered for the ANZ tour but 5 and 10 years from now, he will be remembered for taking Pakistan to the number one ranking and achieving the most number of Test wins as captain. The wounds of the whitewashes are still fresh, but people will get over it eventually. He isn't the first and won't be the last Pakistani captain to get a hammering of a lifetime in Australia, but the ascendency to the number one ranking in Tests and his record as Pakistan's most successful Test captain (in terms of wins) are timeless achievements.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Yes we should revere Misbah for taking us to number one in the rankings for about a week by winning/drawing at home and getting favourable weather pattern in the Ind-WI series. Why is it that this same team has slid all the way down to number six under the captaincy of the same Misbah the great?


Shouldn't we also revere Misbah for taking us to number eight in the ODI rankings?


It goes both ways doesn't it? If you want to credit him for number one in the rankings you should also credit him for number six and eight in the rankings.

Yes, One should take criticism when he loses as the same will be praised for a win..

I think he never brought up the issue of poor domestic setup for the 2013 CT debacle because he doesnt have to as he did well in that tourney. This was brought up only after the 2015 CWC that blaming domestic setup.

Does that mean if MISBAH plays well domestic structure is good, but if he doesnt and the team also fails it is due to poor domestic structure.. It is the same structure that has given Babar azam, Haris Sohail, Amir, Sarfraz, Junaid Khan, UA etc.. Azhar and Asad in tests only.. Not all of them in domestics will survive in int'l cricket and we have seen that in the past and even now.. There will be players always a domestic bully and int'l mouse.

I'm not saying domestic structure is good and int'l standard, I'm asking why it was not brought up 4 years back when the team was performing poorly back then. So now at the twilight of his career the domestic become bad suddenly..

 

[MRSN]

His knocks vs SA in South Africa, scored an 80 odd against SA to tie the series 2-2.. Don't remember the Zimbabwe series but he was our top and only scorer for us in Champions Trophy 2013 where your beloved Malik and Akmal failed badly..

He scored 3 50s against WI in the tour to WI as well in between this

In the returning series to SA late november 2013, scored a 60 odd in the final game.. his scores and performances in SA were generally very good

you are confusing ODI format vs test.

 

[MRSN]

Misbah's frustrations are understandable, but he is not doing himself and the team any favours by letting his ego get the better of him. A lot of people are missing the point and have failed to understand the reasons behind his agitated behaviour lately.

Simply put, in hindsight, it is quite clear that he regrets not retiring on a high after the tour of England because he did not expect the ANZ tours to be so disastrous, both in terms of the results of the team and his individual performance. Had he scored runs like he did in England, he would still have been able to leave with his head high even if the team results would have been the same, but he proved to be one of Pakistan's worst players.

He fears for his legacy because in Pakistan, you are pretty much as good as your last performance. The successful summer of 2016 and the ascendency to the number one ranking is not fresh in people's memory anymore but his record-breaking losing streak as captain (6 consecutive defeats) continues to cast its shadow. He doesn't want to walk away with such a dark last memory and is thus, looking for an opportunity to retire on a high.

He thinks the the Caribbean tour is a suitable stage to sign off with a win, but he needs to realize that winning that series does nothing for his legacy and it is an ideal opportunity to let his successor take charge. It is clearly not going to help him restore the lost dignity. In fact, it will only make things worse for him and his defenders.

Misbah needs to calm down and take a holistic, long-term view. Yes in the short-term, he will be remembered for the ANZ tour but 5 and 10 years from now, he will be remembered for taking Pakistan to the number one ranking and achieving the most number of Test wins as captain. The wounds of the whitewashes are still fresh, but people will get over it eventually. He isn't the first and won't be the last Pakistani captain to get a hammering of a lifetime in Australia, but the ascendency to the number one ranking in Tests and his record as Pakistan's most successful Test captain (in terms of wins) are timeless achievements.

Misbah's legacy as a batsman is as good as Samaraweera's legacy. or I even less than him. At least Samaraweera performed in SA.

 

[shariqnoor]

When asked if some people were waiting for his performance to go down so that they could question his place in the team, Misbah replied "It’s ok; they had to wait six years for that, so it’s fine."

Brilliant!!! Great reply. However, about time Misbah retires. The tough tours are over. It's better if we have a new captain in place who can cement his standing and learn the ropes of captaincy before we embark on the tours to England and Australia in a couple of years time.

 

[Pakpak]

What he said is all well and good however nothing is stopping him from retiring now.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

I agree with Misbah. To be honest, I'm really disappointed with cricket fans in general. Sure, yeah, he should have retired but all this criticism of him and all these comments are very disgraceful. Calling him "petty", "irritating" and this and that doesn't change the fact that he's been one of the bests players of Pakistan in the past 5 years and was the sole reason that Pakistan cricket was at No.1 ranking in Tests a couple of months ago. I maintain that rankings are extremely antagonistic towards Pakistan and that is why we have seen such a steep descend.

Any-who, I seriously hope Misbah does not call it a day yet because of a couple of reasons.

1) The first and most important one of them being the fact that I am 100% sure it will be the same people calling for him to lengthen his career when he hits a couple of centuries in West Indies.

2) Whether you like it or not, Pakistan does not have his replacement. I'm sorry to say this and I'm sorry if it hurts but this is the truth. The people setting domestic's alight are the same old KAkmal and Salman Butt. And if you think they are upgrades to Misbah, then I will refrain from commenting.

3) Misbah has worked hard to be where he is and escape that phase of where he had so much hatred. The best possible scenario for him was to retire after the Eng series with a huge fan base, but if he retires now, he will never be remembered in good names. I really hope that he receives that farewell series all stars dream of and to be honest, he deserves it.

One important thing I'd like to mention is that all these people saying that Misbah is doing wrong by not saying quiet or doing this or that need to realise he is not talking crap even when he is speaking. What he is saying are facts. Who was the last captain that did not face problems at the hands of the board? Heck, even the all loved Afridi was sacked by the board after the WC and even lost his position in the squad.

When a senior player retires obviously there will be no quick replacements available but for that matter do u want them to keep playing forever. When the time is up you need to go and let the fresh face come in, get experienced enough and flourish. It is a cycle and is now the best chance as they have easy tours and easy home series in the pipeline. They will be touring England in 2018 and also SA I guess. Do you want MISBAH to retire that time and bring the youngster in.

Another thing it is not only butt and kakmal there are also other youngsters have a good season one of them was usman Salahudeen. Haris sohail is coming back but he needs a season to assess his fitness post injury. But there are also other youngsters who are waiting to have a chance. Without handing a chance how can we say no replacements available. Replacements will grow with experience and not swapped overnight.

 

[MRSN]

When a senior player retires obviously there will be no quick replacements available but for that matter do u want them to keep playing forever. When the time is up you need to go and let the fresh face come in, get experienced enough and flourish. It is a cycle and is now the best chance as they have easy tours and easy home series in the pipeline. They will be touring England in 2018 and also SA I guess. Do you want MISBAH to retire that time and bring the youngster in.

Another thing it is not only butt and kakmal there are also other youngsters have a good season one of them was usman Salahudeen. Haris sohail is coming back but he needs a season to assess his fitness post injury. But there are also other youngsters who are waiting to have a chance. Without handing a chance how can we say no replacements available. Replacements will grow with experience and not swapped overnight.

Baber Azam
Harris Sohail
Umar Akmal
Sharjeel

there are lots of talented players waiting for these 40+ players call their day.

 

[adil_909]

Misbah is too sensible and reasonable for jazbati pakistani quom. When he retires, he should just work behind the scenes at NCA or work with other youngsters coming through. We need more people with critical thinking skills in key positions in pakistan, and misbah is a great example of that. His time on the field is done. We now need his skills to revive our fortunes off the field.

 

[Zohaib Shah]

So you only stayed cause people asked you to? If so than why aren't you leaving now if people told you to?

 

[ExpressPacer]

What was his contribution in Australia and NZ as batsman and captain? Any captain will not worse than loosing 6-0 in a row which includes 2nd string WI in home ground. We are capable of winning against Aus, NZ, WI, ENG, SL, BD without Misbah in UAE. In overseas Misbah is as good as passenger. So many times he keeps throwing his wicket even against average spinner

Sorry, but its 5-0. He did not play the second test in NZ. He was the best batsman in the first test vs NZ. Yeah, he had an off series with the bat in Aus but lol, I can't believe you actually thought we had a chance vs Aus. It was impossible anyway.

As for his replacement, please name one. Fawad Alam, or is it KAkmal the youngster? Please don't tell me its Butt. Don't get me wrong here, I genuinely want him to call it a day but that does not change the fact that he does not have a replacement.

 

[ExpressPacer]

When a senior player retires obviously there will be no quick replacements available but for that matter do u want them to keep playing forever. When the time is up you need to go and let the fresh face come in, get experienced enough and flourish. It is a cycle and is now the best chance as they have easy tours and easy home series in the pipeline. They will be touring England in 2018 and also SA I guess. Do you want MISBAH to retire that time and bring the youngster in.

Another thing it is not only butt and kakmal there are also other youngsters have a good season one of them was usman Salahudeen. Haris sohail is coming back but he needs a season to assess his fitness post injury. But there are also other youngsters who are waiting to have a chance. Without handing a chance how can we say no replacements available. Replacements will grow with experience and not swapped overnight.

Like I already said in my post, I genuinely WANT him to retire. But that does not change the fact that we do not have a replacement for him. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is he's receiving a lot of undue and unjust criticism here which is wrong.

 

[Syed1]

Like I already said in my post, I genuinely WANT him to retire. But that does not change the fact that we do not have a replacement for him. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is he's receiving a lot of undue and unjust criticism here which is wrong.

You are never going to find a replacement if you are not going to replace him.

All the criticism being directed at a 42 year old non-performing batsman and captain is completely just and called-for.

 

[ExpressPacer]

You are never going to find a replacement if you are not going to replace him.

All the criticism being directed at a 42 year old non-performing batsman and captain is completely just and called-for.

You see, this is exactly my problem. All the criticism is just and called-for because of his age. A batsmen does you good one series after the other but has ONE bad series and has to be discarded and that too because of his "age". I'm sorry but doesn't sound fair to me.

 

[Syed1]

You see, this is exactly my problem. All the criticism is just and called-for because of his age. A batsmen does you good one series after the other but has ONE bad series and has to be discarded and that too because of his "age". I'm sorry but doesn't sound fair to me.

How much longer will a 42 year old play? Misbah isn't even an excellent batsman, all the greats of the game Sachin, Lara, Kallis, Pointing retired much before the age of 42. And this age even one bad series is like a nail on the coffin of your career. Do you really expect a 42 year old Misbah to add any value to the batting line-up a year or two down the line?

 

[Stallion__]

Not sure without watching the video if Misbah is using it as an excuse to delay his retirement. Every person face problems when he entrusted with added responsibility. He will learn to face those problems only when he will actually face them.

 

[Asif321]

he looked upset and was kinda rude in his interview when asked what you think about sarfarz as captain he replied . whoever they want let them appoint

 

[ExpressPacer]

How much longer will a 42 year old play? Misbah isn't even an excellent batsman, all the greats of the game Sachin, Lara, Kallis, Pointing retired much before the age of 42. And this age even one bad series is like a nail on the coffin of your career. Do you really expect a 42 year old Misbah to add any value to the batting line-up a year or two down the line?

I don't and bro, I've always maintained, he should have retired after the Eng series. But if he chose not to primarily because he wanted to go on (ignoring all other external factors), we cannot criticize him for that. It's his choice. Its ANY players choice if he wants to retire or not, especially Misbah because he's earned it. If he doesn't perform, the selectors can drop him.

He averaged 50 in the series vs WI. He was your best batsman in the odd match he played vs NZ. If he DOES have a bad outing vs Aus, the worst you should do is drop him. We're treating him like he's sold the nation..

 

[Asif321]

Yes, One should take criticism when he loses as the same will be praised for a win..

I think he never brought up the issue of poor domestic setup for the 2013 CT debacle because he doesnt have to as he did well in that tourney. This was brought up only after the 2015 CWC that blaming domestic setup.

Does that mean if MISBAH plays well domestic structure is good, but if he doesnt and the team also fails it is due to poor domestic structure.. It is the same structure that has given Babar azam, Haris Sohail, Amir, Sarfraz, Junaid Khan, UA etc.. Azhar and Asad in tests only.. Not all of them in domestics will survive in int'l cricket and we have seen that in the past and even now.. There will be players always a domestic bully and int'l mouse.

I'm not saying domestic structure is good and int'l standard, I'm asking why it was not brought up 4 years back when the team was performing poorly back then. So now at the twilight of his career the domestic become bad suddenly..

exactly and actually we have been having same domestic structure fortoo long . we have found quality players with that . so i dont think its an valid excuse

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Like I already said in my post, I genuinely WANT him to retire. But that does not change the fact that we do not have a replacement for him. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is he's receiving a lot of undue and unjust criticism here which is wrong.

Most are genuine critics for him not retiring and being selfish....Also he is voluntarily buying a few critics which were harvested in the past due to his current stand on retirement now, which happens when u r in the receiving end..

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Baber Azam
Harris Sohail
Umar Akmal
Sharjeel

there are lots of talented players waiting for these 40+ players call their day.

Not UA until he re-invent his purple patch of the past... if we take his stats in FC since he was dropped from tests it will show why he was dropped.... he has not improved any further since he was dropped from tests i guess..

 

[Mamoon]

Misbah's legacy as a batsman is as good as Samaraweera's legacy. or I even less than him. At least Samaraweera performed in SA.

As a batsman, Misbah doesn't have much of a legacy. However, he is a far greater cricketer than Samaraweera when you consider his captaincy and impact on the recent history of Pakistan cricket.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

The genuine question is this

If Misbah were to continue to West Indies, and he wins there, would he retire?

If not, when will this desire to play end?

Will he lead us in 2020?

 

[MRSN]

As a batsman, Misbah doesn't have much of a legacy. However, he is a far greater cricketer than Samaraweera when you consider his captaincy and impact on the recent history of Pakistan cricket.

what about his impact on the ODI side? The dark ages of Pakistan ODI cricket?

His test stats look good because we played 70% of our cricket in UAE in the last 6 years. he doesn't have a single test series win outside UAE. That explains his legacy.

 

[Junaids]

As a batsman, Misbah doesn't have much of a legacy. However, he is a far greater cricketer than Samaraweera when you consider his captaincy and impact on the recent history of Pakistan cricket.

Goodness me, no, not at all.

Samaraweera's legacy is massively greater than Misbah's.

Samaraweera was a genuine Test class batsman who averaged 68 in South Africa. And he had the good sense to retire at 36 years of age when it was clear, like with Misbah, that he could still bat in Asia but was finished outside because his hand-eye coordination was gone.

Misbah had a window of opportunity to retire after the England tour with his reputation not just intact but gleaming. His batting had fallen off horribly in that series after a superb start against an under-strength attack in the First Test, and while his captaincy was poor and defensive throughout his team drew the series and he looked good.

But it was an illusion. This was the England team that had lost to the West Indies 14 months earlier and was to lose to Bangladesh two months later. The team of Hales and Vince.

And in New Zealand and Australia his batting was so appalling, and his archly-defensive captaincy so ridiculous that his reputation was cut to ribbons. His only hope to save his reputation was to immediately retire with grace, accepting that his mediocre batting could no longer cope and that a younger man needed to take the helm.

And Misbah's desperate refusal to do the honourable thing and retire has exposed him as no different to Javed Miandad and Shahid Afridi and every other Pakistani has-been who put his own desperation to play ahead of the needs of his team and his country.

Five months is a long time in cricket. The man who would have retired as The Man Who Gave Pakistan Back Its Dignity is gone forever, replaced by The Old Man Who Was Desperate To Go On And On And On.

 

[Mamoon]

Goodness me, no, not at all.

Samaraweera's legacy is massively greater than Misbah's.

I can't believe I have to explain this. No, Misbah's legacy is far greater than his and for obvious reasons.

I actually quite liked Samaraweera and always felt that he was criminally underrated because of more popular teammates like Muralitharan, Sangakkara, Mahela, Dilshan, Malinga and Mathews. However, he was not a great of the game and today, he doesn't really have a legacy.

No one really remembers or talks about him. He is pretty much a forgotten man and is not even in the top 5 most celebrated Sri Lankan cricketers of the last 10 years.

As a batsman, he was better than Misbah, but the latter's success as Test captain, from bringing stability in 2010 to taking the team to the unprecedented number one ranking, has propelled him to a much higher status than Samaraweera's.

Who is more popular and respected in today's cricket? Misbah. Who will be remembered more 10-15 years down the line? Misbah.

Misbah would have been a nobody with his captaincy stint, but as things are now, regardless of how it ends, Misbah's legacy is at a different level to Samaraweera's who is a nobody in front of him, in spite of being a better individual batsman.

We are not talking about their respective batting skills. We are talking about their respective legacies as cricketers, and Misbah blows Samaraweera out of the water on that front because of his captaincy.