"Misbah-ul-Haq had no skills, he had a one dimensional game" : Mohammad Yousuf

[Savak]

Yousuf said that Misbah didn't want Azhar in the ODI squad because they were similar batsmen.

"In my view Azhar was a better batsman skill wise and in terms of ability. But because he had to play as an opener or one down and he took his time to settle down, Misbah didn't want him because he himself took time to settle down and played slowly."

lol... these former players need less of a platform to speak because they just have really poor opinions.

And I don't get the criticism "he only took the spinners on"... it's actually a good thing for a player to be self aware of their own limitation. More players would actually benefit from that realization.

It's also odd for Moyo to be criticizing for playing slow and defensively when that's often how he played throughout his career. Misbah wasn't blessed with the natural abilities of other batsmen but he made most of it, especially considering he was pretty much coming in to bat when Pakistan was down 40/3 pretty much everytime. Look at the awful players they had during that time from players like Shehzad, Akmal, Maqsood, Hafeez, Younis, Jamshed etc... I guess Misbah should apologize for not being Kohli and having to carry that waste? He also had no good or great fastbowler to speak of either.

Was Misbah a great batsmen? No. Was he competent and above average? Yes. Would he do better in a more favorable situation where he is not coming in every time by the 10th over and be relied upon as a finisher? Probably. When Misbah was set, he was a cool hitter as any.

Its a lame excuse to say Misbah always came in at 40/3, Misbah had plenty of selection powers during his tenure as Pakistani captain from 2010 to 2017, he just chose not to upset the status quo and was happy, content with mediocrity. You think Imran Khan as captain would not have gone out of his way to ensure and scout for the best players in the country and even risk destroying life long relationships with family members and friends i.e. Majid Khan, Sarfaraz Nawaz e.t.c.

 

[sshakir411]

Yasir has the same anount of test centuries outside SC I believe as misbah.

Actually Yasir has a century in Australia which is a greater feat than having a century in England.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Lol people do care otherwise people wouldn't be talking about it. His criticism against Misbah's is correct even if it comes across as bitter

Yousuf has zero credibility because of his clearly personal bias, therefore his opinions mean nothing. If anybody cared what he had to say people other than those on PP would take his comments seriously. But at the end of the day everyone knows he would struggle to get on TV if Misbah didn't have a job.

 

[ads101]

I think Misbah was a good ODI batsman, he was really the only one who scored against tough opposition in our line up from 2011 until Babar came along. And those around him folded like a pack of cards. He was a little slow, but he did have the odd moment where he could hit when he wanted to.

He had two big failings. The first and most important one, he should have batted up the order at 3. He didn't even try this, and played more at 5 than any other position. If he'd batted the same way as he did at 3, it would have been far better for the team. I hate that he didn't even really try to bat at 3.

The second was he should have walked away from ODI captaincy. His batting was slowing down with captaincy, his results poor. The logical thing would have been to give it to someone else, focus on his own batting. Azhar resigned from ODI captaincy after just a few series of bad result. Misbah on the other hand captained until he retired completely.

 

[Hawkeye]

Misbah-ul-Haq averaged 40 in England and close to 40 in New Zealand .

He was a failure in Australia, and South Africa . Averaging 20 odd.

So he had mixed results in SENA in test cricket .

His record in One day cricket in SENA Was very good .

Averaged 50 plus in England , Australia .

He also averaged close to 50 in ICC tournaments.

So on the whole in SENA he did reasonably well in all formats .

Misbah has 2 50s in 3 ODI innings in England. - Champions Trophy 2013.
Misbah has 2 50s in 4 ODI innings in Australia. - World Cup 2015.
Misbah had 5 50s in 9 ODI innings in New Zealand. Two bilateral series and 3 games in 2015 World Cup.
Misbah has 3 50s in 8 ODI innings in South Africa. All bilateral series.
Misbah has 6 50s in 10 ODI innings in West Indies. All bilateral series.

Averaged over 100 in a Test series win in New Zealand in 2011 as Captain.
Averaged over 100 in a Test series in India in 2007 vs Kumble, Harbhajan and Zaheer.
Man of the series in a four match Test series in England in 2016.
43 50+ in 99 Test innings as Captain between 2010-2017.

He was a monster of a batsman.

He is right up there with Graeme Smith, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Stephen Fleming etc as outstanding performers with the bat while being Captain. The next best Pakistan batting Test Captain after Misbah has 21 50+ scores as Captain compared to his 43 50+ while being captain in Test Match Cricket. No Pakistan batting Captain has got more than his 27 50+ scores in ODIs as Captain either.

Don't post this kind of stuff.

Too hard to for [MENTION=138958]Khan12[/MENTION] to digest and he again loses a chance to spit out his lies and pure hate for a Pak great and the most successful Pakistan Test captain in our history.

 

[daytrader]

Problem is Mo Yo speaks truth , bitter truth, and he does understand cricket , he can ***** batsman batting technique very well , Misbah was one dimensional batsman no doubt about it , he was good batsman of spin never good on fast bowling , his record on fast & bouncy pitches on Australia and South Africa explains everything,

MoYo played 124 more ODI innings than Misbah yet only has 7 more sixes, who's one dimensional?

 

[Greenstorm]

Misbah was a decent finisher. Used to hit clean and won us some games initially when he used to bat in the lower order. He should have batted at 6 for the rest of his career in LOIs.

Problem was his captaincy, he had this pathetic defensive mindset. His safety first approach was opposite to our natural attacking style of play. His dictatorial personality ensured careers of nice clean good for nothing achey bachey in the team along with well behaved oldies(TTFs). He possessed minnow mentality and he managed to place us below them in rankings.
Now he and Waqar are back to complete their unfinished work just like Shareefs and Bhuttos used multiple stints to ruin our nation. Maybe we deserve this.
I feel pity for players like Haider, Abdullah Shafique, Saif Badar etc. Under current management, they will turn into Akmals and Shehzads instead of becoming next Babar Azam.

One of the worst decisions of Imran Khan has been to give Misbah this much power in PCB.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

[MENTION=138958]Khan12[/MENTION]

35 half centuries and 8 centuries in 99 Test innings as Captain. Misbah was a highly impressive consistent performer as a batsman with the added responsibilities of leadership. No Pakistan batting Captain comes close to matching his numbers in the longest form of the game.

Undefeated series record in 9 Test series as Captain in the UAE against England twice, South Africa twice, Sri Lanka twice, West Indies, New Zealand and Australia.

He won away Test series as Captain in New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and in Bangladesh twice.

With 26 Test victories in his captaincy, he has the same number of Test wins as Imran Khan and Wasim Akram combined, winning a dozen more Tests than the next best as Pakistan’s winningest Test leader.

He was man of the series in a highly commendable main summer drawn series in England at the age of 42.

In Limited overs cricket, he was Pakistan’s leading run scorer in 2011 World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy and 2015 World Cup. Only Miandad has more 50+ scores for Pakistan in World Cups and he played three times the number of World Cups as Misbah. Under his calm leadership Pakistan won an Asia Cup, won ODI series in India, South Africa, West Indies and Bangladesh and won two ODI series against a good Sri Lankan team in the UAE.

Only in 2014 did his ODI results as Captain decline when he lost three consecutive ODI series against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand heading into the World Cup at the start of the next year. But there were obvious factors for this and you would be wise to look at the bigger picture:

Saeed Ajmal’s action – any team would struggle if you take out such a performer.
He actually only captained in one of those three full series.
He was playing against some highly ranked well fancied teams in the World Cup to come at the time.
Pakistan had a long gap after the Asia Cup final on 8th March 2014 before their next ODI series in Sri Lanka in late August 2014. They played very little ODI cricket compared to other countries in the run up to the World Cup.
Younis Khan was diabolically recalled in ODIs by Najam Sethi vetoing selection.
In the most important ODI assignment that year – the Asia Cup, Misbah led Pakistan to the final.
Misbah himself was at least contributing with the bat – leading run scorer in ODIs worldwide the previous year and went on to score four half centuries at the World Cup the following year.

Now have the guts to apologize for calling one of the great men and contributors of Pakistan Cricket a loser. A bloke that has scored five Test centuries after the age of 40 for our great land. I'm not putting up with people like you coming on here and slagging off Misbah ul Haq.

 

[sweep_shot]

Haven't heard from Yousuf in a long time. What is he doing nowadays?

Kind of unnecessary comment from Yousuf here. It can harm team unity.

 

[topspin]

Misbah has hit nearly 200 international sixes.
No Pakistan cricketer has hit more Test sixes ever.

Yet he could be ultra patient, slow and watchful when he wanted.

He could get 85* from 47 balls in a T20.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...up-b-faysal-bank-super-eight-t-20-cup-2012-13

Or he could be 9* from 86 balls in a Test draw.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ri-lanka-tour-of-united-arab-emirates-2011-12

That is the definition of adaptability and versatility and you are calling him one dimensional

Lol talk about clutching at straws.

But yes 1 x ton in SENA after 237 international matches (in tests + ODIs) "is the definition of adaptability and versatility".

)

 

[shaz619]

Misbah was a glorifed tailender past his prime if am totally honest, Moyo is correct; however I give him credit for his mental toughness and grit, he played ok within his limitations. Moyo by far was the superior Batsman and will always go down in history as the better Batsman while Misbah did fine as a captain

 

[Shoaibbtt]

He is got even more reason to be jealous now that Misbah is the coach while PCB does not care about him. He would have probably had to ask for money on streets if it wasn't for Geo (rightfully).

Yea misbah only got the job because he’s a yes man. Fact is Yousaf is right that misbah shouldn’t have this much power and shouldn’t be coaching a team of guys who he is “chummy” with.

 

[Khan12]

Don't post this kind of stuff.

Too hard to for [MENTION=138958]Khan12[/MENTION] to digest and he again loses a chance to spit out his lies and pure hate for a Pak great and the most successful Pakistan Test captain in our history.

Where are the lies? Please don't tag me again since you can't reply and run away.

 

[Khan12]

[MENTION=138958]Khan12[/MENTION]

35 half centuries and 8 centuries in 99 Test innings as Captain. Misbah was a highly impressive consistent performer as a batsman with the added responsibilities of leadership. No Pakistan batting Captain comes close to matching his numbers in the longest form of the game.

Undefeated series record in 9 Test series as Captain in the UAE against England twice, South Africa twice, Sri Lanka twice, West Indies, New Zealand and Australia.

He won away Test series as Captain in New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and in Bangladesh twice.

With 26 Test victories in his captaincy, he has the same number of Test wins as Imran Khan and Wasim Akram combined, winning a dozen more Tests than the next best as Pakistan’s winningest Test leader.

He was man of the series in a highly commendable main summer drawn series in England at the age of 42.

In Limited overs cricket, he was Pakistan’s leading run scorer in 2011 World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy and 2015 World Cup. Only Miandad has more 50+ scores for Pakistan in World Cups and he played three times the number of World Cups as Misbah. Under his calm leadership Pakistan won an Asia Cup, won ODI series in India, South Africa, West Indies and Bangladesh and won two ODI series against a good Sri Lankan team in the UAE.

Only in 2014 did his ODI results as Captain decline when he lost three consecutive ODI series against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand heading into the World Cup at the start of the next year. But there were obvious factors for this and you would be wise to look at the bigger picture:

Saeed Ajmal’s action – any team would struggle if you take out such a performer.
He actually only captained in one of those three full series.
He was playing against some highly ranked well fancied teams in the World Cup to come at the time.
Pakistan had a long gap after the Asia Cup final on 8th March 2014 before their next ODI series in Sri Lanka in late August 2014. They played very little ODI cricket compared to other countries in the run up to the World Cup.
Younis Khan was diabolically recalled in ODIs by Najam Sethi vetoing selection.
In the most important ODI assignment that year – the Asia Cup, Misbah led Pakistan to the final.
Misbah himself was at least contributing with the bat – leading run scorer in ODIs worldwide the previous year and went on to score four half centuries at the World Cup the following year.

Now have the guts to apologize for calling one of the great men and contributors of Pakistan Cricket a loser. A bloke that has scored five Test centuries after the age of 40 for our great land. I'm not putting up with people like you coming on here and slagging off Misbah ul Haq.

Reply to my previous post. I answered your previous post with every single one. Please answer my questions before I reply to this. If you can't then don't expect me to reply to this.

Again if you have forgotten let me help you.

Can you name winning centuries in odis.

His performances in test and odis against SENA countries in their backyard. Don't give me that rubbish he has 2 fifties in 4 matches in Aus while the fact is he has 1 against Zimbabwe and India there.

Can you highlight his test average in SENA countries?

Can you highlight how many centuries he has outside SC. I hope it's not 1 since he was one of our greats.

Why did this great captain lose to zimbabwe?

Why is he allergic to youngsters. Benched babar and didn't want Shaheen in the world cup. These 2 are comfortably our 2 best players?

Why is he the biggest choker ever produced by Pakistan?

Let's start with this I replied to your last post which you have completely ignored. If you can't reply then don't tag me.

 

[Khan12]

Lol talk about clutching at straws.

But yes 1 x ton in SENA after 237 international matches (in tests + ODIs) "is the definition of adaptability and versatility".

)

And he's one of our best they say. LMAO the height of delusional.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Yousuf is clueless - blasting Misbah for not selecting Azhar in ODIs when Azhar had no business in the format.

Not to mention, his constant support for Asad Shafiq's mediocrity.

Yousuf and Younis would have been even better players had they been better human beings too.

Although, I do agree with what he has said here. Misbah is a nobody infront of either Yousuf or Younis, based on pure cricketing skills.

 

[Kroll]

I think the only reason Misbah had "consistent scores" in ODI was because of his tuk tuk batting technique. Blocking ball after ball then hitting out once in a while.

This had a such a detrimental effect on the team as we lost so many matches under his leadership. The grinding technique worked okay for Tests but was such a drag to watch.

 

[Slog]

Two men born in 1974.
76 50+ scores for Pakistan after the age of 36 for Misbah.
0 50+ scores for Pakistan after the age of 36 for Yousuf.
End of debate.

As overall batsmen, Misbah isn’t fit to lace Yousuf’s shoe laces let be honest

 

[Slog]

Saj What exactly is yousufs issue with misbah? This constant at times vicious verbal assaults seems personal

Misbah was selected in place of him for T20 WC 2007 and Yousuf reached badly and prematurely by signing with the ICL. That really started Yousuf’s downfall.

 

[Zaz]

Misbah will be the first to admit that he wasnt in the same league as a batsman than yousuf

Thats isnt being debated here Youve got to give him some credit though for performing as well as he did when he was uptowards 40 and to lead the team relatively stably after the debacles of 09-10

For moyo though to completely bash misbahs batting, captsincy coaching etc etc time after time and give him no credit tho is not right and pretty poor tbh

 

[CleverSir]

On this i agree. I am puzzled as to why don't our players past and current when they have the privillege of playing for their country for a good 5-10 years not utilize their money wisely and invest in corresponding education programs which can given them a big edge once their playing careers are over.

If i was in their shoes, i would invest in the following

- ECB, Cricket Australia, PCB and ICC coaching courses (so that they can stake a credible claim to becoming coaches)

- A credible MBA program (if they wish to apply for a management role in the PCB, their departments or a PSL Franchise)

- A credible Masters in Sports Management (if they wish to become the head of a PSL franchise)

- Full fledged English speaking classes (So that they can improve their broadcasting prospects once their playing careers are over)

The players have the options and the opportunities. They have to make time out to avail them. I think most have the mindset that it is pointless for them to get education because after playing for your country for a good 5-10 plus years, it doesn't make sense to obtain an education and start from scratch in the job market so therefore they need guidance on which qualifications to obtain which they can then build on and effectively monetize on for their post playing careers.

You've hit the nail on the head. I think there are 2 major reasons why our players fail to do this.

The first is that they can never see their playing careers as over until the anvil has already dropped on their heads by the selectors (like realistically, Malik, Hafeez, Wahab, and a few others should see the writing on the wall and start preparing for the future). They see super stars like Wasim Akram, Waqar, Khan, Miandad, Afridi (money wise a superstar, professionally I don't consider him a superstar), Ramiz (again not professionally a superstar but he's played the game well to establish himself) etc and think that it will replicate for them too. They don't realize players like Khan, Akram, Waqar, Miandad breathed, slept, and ate cricket throughout their careers and that hunger brought them the status. Ramiz Raja hustled on the commentary circuit constantly being away from family to get to where he is regardless of what anyone thinks of his work. Middle of the road players do not put in the time and effort but expect the payoff at the end.

The second reason is the lack of a Professional Players association that can put the needs of players first and educate them on future options and help guide the players. This is squarely on the players themselves. For decades they've relied on "senior" players to negotiate for everyone's behalf even though the needs of an established senior player is different from that of a lower level player. You see the cricketers associations of England or Australia or NZ and they're well established. A professional negotiator works to get salaries fixed from their respective boards. They have professional guidance available for players to access regarding whatever they need. Our players need to realize this and get moving on having a players association established. Establish this now and in 5-10 years reap the benefits. Otherwise the same old situation will be happening in a cycle. Someone like Younus Khan has the clout to push for this. He can get former big names like Akram on board, some current big names like Babar and get this moving.

Lack of forward planning is big issue for Pakistani players. I mean how hard is it for someone like Hafeez who seems to be constantly traveling in his off time to get enrolled in an english speaking class in the UK (I'm sure there are online resources available too) so that when he retires he can get into commentary. Even someone like Azhar Ali who spends quite a bit of time in the UK. M. Amir practically lives in the UK now, take the time to use the resources around you to make yourself more marketable. This kind of thing cannot be blamed on the PCB, it is on the players shoulders.

 

[Saj]

Haven't heard from Yousuf in a long time. What is he doing nowadays?

Kind of unnecessary comment from Yousuf here. It can harm team unity.

Sitting on tv, slating Misbah again and again and again.

 

[ahmed16]

Never liked MoYo, class act on the field but an absolute twerp off it. One of those players whose just bitter about almost everything and says things for the cameras.

 

[MMHS]

May be a little harsh as Misbah was a very good player of spin; but MoYo is ABSOLUTELY correct with that word “one dimensional”, even for his captaincy as well and I am afraid, we will see the third instalment if Misbah version of cricket in his coaching as well.

 

[Khan12]

Sitting on tv, slating Misbah again and again and again.

So just like misbah. Rubbish batsmen, rubbish captain and now a rubbish coach. He's destroying our cricket.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

As overall batsmen, Misbah isn’t fit to lace Yousuf’s shoe laces let be honest

It is easy just to look at cricinfo profiles and see Yousuf has 24 Test 100s compared to Misbah's 10. But bear in mind Misbah played 56 of his 75 Tests with the added responsibilities of captaincy in an era of exile for Pakistan. And as a Batting Captain no one even comes close.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

I think post 106 has shut a few up on here.

No one can deny that no Pakistan Captain has performed as well with the bat as Misbah ever.

Both in Test and ODI Cricket.

He was a league above the rest.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

Although, I do agree with what he has said here. Misbah is a nobody infront of either Yousuf or Younis, based on pure cricketing skills.

Misbah was better than Younis and Yousuf as a white ball player.
Yousuf never scored a World Cup half century against a Test playing nation.
Younis averaged in the low 20s from 4 ICC Cricket World Cups.
Misbah was the 3rd leading run scorer in the 2007 World T20.
Pakistan's leading ODI run scorer in the 2011 World Cup with an average of 50.
Was in the official team of the tournament at the 2013 Champions Trophy averaging 86.5
Pakistan's leading ODI run scorer in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup as Pakistan Captain averaging 50.

2007 WT20 pool vs India
Misbah = 53 runs.
Younis = 2 runs.

2007 WT20 final vs India.
Misbah = 43 runs.
Younis = 24 runs.

2011 World Cup vs India.
Misbah = 56 runs.
Younis = 13 runs.

2015 World Cup vs India.
Misbah = 76 runs.
Younis = 6 runs.

Yet you are putting Younis ahead of him?
Misbah top scored in every World Cup game he played vs India - twice in T20 and twice in ODI.

 

[sshakir411]

Misbah was better than Younis and Yousuf as a white ball player.
Yousuf never scored a World Cup half century against a Test playing nation.
Younis averaged in the low 20s from 4 ICC Cricket World Cups.
Misbah was the 3rd leading run scorer in the 2007 World T20.
Pakistan's leading ODI run scorer in the 2011 World Cup with an average of 50.
Was in the official team of the tournament at the 2013 Champions Trophy averaging 86.5
Pakistan's leading ODI run scorer in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup as Pakistan Captain averaging 50.

2007 WT20 pool vs India
Misbah = 53 runs.
Younis = 2 runs.

2007 WT20 final vs India.
Misbah = 43 runs.
Younis = 24 runs.

2011 World Cup vs India.
Misbah = 56 runs.
Younis = 13 runs.

2015 World Cup vs India.
Misbah = 76 runs.
Younis = 6 runs.

Yet you are putting Younis ahead of him?
Misbah top scored in every World Cup game he played vs India - twice in T20 and twice in ODI.

Lost all my brain cells reading this. With this standard we can consider majority of the greats to be average players at best.

 

[Ami]

Yousuf was pretty to watch..
but he lacked guts.
When the going got tough he never stood up like Inzy, YK or Misbah.

 

[Saj]

The thing is that Yousuf would probably make a decent coach, but it's intriguing as to why nobody has given him a job.

 

[Khan12]

I think post 106 has shut a few up on here.

No one can deny that no Pakistan Captain has performed as well with the bat as Misbah ever.

Both in Test and ODI Cricket.

He was a league above the rest.

You would have if you answered my questions. I think my question about misbah has made his fans run away again and shut them up again. I see another thread has been opened in order to console yourself. Can't believe people actually think misbah is better then yousuf.

 

[Zaz]

The thing is that Yousuf would probably make a decent coach, but it's intriguing as to why nobody has given him a job.

Maybe because of his negative attitude and the fact the man seems to just spout poison all the time

Hes controversial and not many would want to deal with someone whos temperamentally unstable

 

[Savak]

The thing is that Yousuf would probably make a decent coach, but it's intriguing as to why nobody has given him a job.

Yousaf in many tv interviews clarified he has twice been in negotiations with the PCB for the batting coach role for the U19, A team and NCA. He even accepted an amount lower than what he asked for and that he would report to the officials he is supposed to report to but the PCB then came out with a wierd stipulation that if someone decided to sue Yousaf for his views on TV channels, the PCB will not be responsible, he even agreed to sign off on this point but the PCB never seriously got back to him and he also got fed up at what he felt was a non serious, insincere attempt to hire him.

Similarly from 2010 to 2012 when Yousaf was available as a player, he repeatedly sought meetings with the likes of Ijaz Butt and Zaka Ashraf on why he was continously ignored for selection and whether the PCB higher ups, selectors had him in mind in their future plans or not, what did they need him to do in order to earn a place back in the team. No one ever gave him time or the courtesy of an appointment and he felt it was below his dignity to keep running around in such a desperate, humiliating manner given his past services as a player.

Sad example of the PCB mistreating a Pakistani player. Not the first or the last

 

[Kaddy]

The thing is that Yousuf would probably make a decent coach, but it's intriguing as to why nobody has given him a job.

Has he got any coaching certificate (level 1,2 3). If he hasn't, you should suggest him to do some coaching courses because I also believe he can be a very good batting coach. He has played under Bob woolmer and Javed, which will definitely help him in coaching.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Its a lame excuse to say Misbah always came in at 40/3, Misbah had plenty of selection powers during his tenure as Pakistani captain from 2010 to 2017, he just chose not to upset the status quo and was happy, content with mediocrity. You think Imran Khan as captain would not have gone out of his way to ensure and scout for the best players in the country and even risk destroying life long relationships with family members and friends i.e. Majid Khan, Sarfaraz Nawaz e.t.c.

First of all, it shouldn't matter if he had an input in selection or not. It is the selection committee and the chief selector's job to select the squad, not his. I'm sure he gave his input like every captain does but it is ultimately the committee's job to select.

Secondly, let's assume Misbah had all this power to select anyone he could have wanted, who could he have selected that would make a difference? Shehzad/Akmal/Sarfraz/Jamshed/Maqsood/Haris were all young/under their prime under him who were given countless chances. Fawad Alam/Sharjeel played under him too. Who were these supposed great batsmen that missed out? Khurram Manzoor? Rashid Latif? Maybe you could argue Fakhar Zaman could have began a couple of years earlier but that's the only one I can think of.

Hell, in just out recent world cup, we had Malik, Sarfraz and Hafeez in our batting lineup. Main difference from then and now is Imam/Fakhar/Babar who overall have the been the best batsmen for Pakistan in ODI for the last couple of years. And Pakistan has an abundance of fast bowlers now and don't have to rely on mediocre bowlers like Gul far past his prime or Rahat Ali/Irfan/Ehsan Adil types of the world.

Don't get me wrong, there is certainly fair criticism of Misbah and the selection committee and the talent he had at the time was woefully bad. He didn't exactly have a lineup to play "attacking cricket" with and talent makes all the difference in the world. Just like how England didn't play attacking cricket prior to 2015 because they simply didn't have the batsmen to do that.

Personally, the biggest criticism I have for Misbah is that he allowed Shafiq and Younis to play at all. Younis had a 28.57 average under him and Shafiq had a disgusting 19.62 average with a 67 SR. They were the middle order and the biggest culprit for consistent failures of those teams. And it's PCB fault as well for pinning all their hopes on Shehzad and Akmal to become stars and carry them and they just kept giving them all the chances in the world.

 

[Slog]

It is easy just to look at cricinfo profiles and see Yousuf has 24 Test 100s compared to Misbah's 10. But bear in mind Misbah played 56 of his 75 Tests with the added responsibilities of captaincy in an era of exile for Pakistan. And as a Batting Captain no one even comes close.

View attachment 100473

We are talking about batsmanship.

Misbah was a clueless batsman abroad on most occasion and risk averse at home.

There literally is no argument here. Even Misbah would agree that in every important batting metric whether it is shot range, pacing the innings, hunger for big scores, rising to the occasion and ability to play in different condition, Yousuf comes up trumps and is leagues ahead of Misbah. There is no cricketing comparison and putting in some pointless irrelevant captaincy qualifier is a weak argument.

When the ATG Pakistani batsmen are talked about Misbah does not even figure

 

[Faizhassan]

We are talking about batsmanship.

Misbah was a clueless batsman abroad on most occasion and risk averse at home.

There literally is no argument here. Even Misbah would agree that in every important batting metric whether it is shot range, pacing the innings, hunger for big scores, rising to the occasion and ability to play in different condition, Yousuf comes up trumps and is leagues ahead of Misbah. There is no cricketing comparison and putting in some pointless irrelevant captaincy qualifier is a weak argument.

When the ATG Pakistani batsmen are talked about Misbah does not even figure

That is not an argument here, the problem is that how bitter Mohd Yousuf sounds, i mean the guy retired about 4 years ago and it has been a decade since Yousuf last played for Pakistan, so what is the point of bringing this whole thing up.

There is no argument here is that Yousuf is a superior batsmen, but he always batted under the shadow of Inzimam, and Inzi is always a better match winner, and even Younis tips Yousuf when it comes to playing clutch knocks overseas. Coming to shorter versions, Misbah's record is superior in ICC events whereas Yousuf had a horrible 2007 World Cup despite being at the peak of his powers. Other thing that has to be kept in mind is that Yousuf was never considered a leader of the batting group. None of the young Pakistani batsmen rate Yousuf that highly when it comes to influencing their career, whereas there has been many instances where they have lauded Younis and Misbah for their influence.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]

Misbah was better than Yousuf when it comes to:
Hitting sixes.
Sweeping spinners.
Being more patient in his temperament.
Running between the wickets.

Funny how you bring up rising to the big occasion:
Misbah = 7 World Cup 50s.
Yousuf = 2 World Cup 50s.

Overseas:
Misbah has 12 ODI 50s in SENA.
He has 8 Test 50+ in SENA.
Look at his performances in:
2013 Champions Trophy.
2015 World Cup.
2011 Test and ODI series in NZ.
2016 Test series in England.
2013 ODI series in South Africa.
2007 Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
And you will regret what you've said about him overseas.

More people know who Misbah is than Yousuf. That is for sure.

 

[Saj]

Yousaf in many tv interviews clarified he has twice been in negotiations with the PCB for the batting coach role for the U19, A team and NCA. He even accepted an amount lower than what he asked for and that he would report to the officials he is supposed to report to but the PCB then came out with a wierd stipulation that if someone decided to sue Yousaf for his views on TV channels, the PCB will not be responsible, he even agreed to sign off on this point but the PCB never seriously got back to him and he also got fed up at what he felt was a non serious, insincere attempt to hire him.

Similarly from 2010 to 2012 when Yousaf was available as a player, he repeatedly sought meetings with the likes of Ijaz Butt and Zaka Ashraf on why he was continously ignored for selection and whether the PCB higher ups, selectors had him in mind in their future plans or not, what did they need him to do in order to earn a place back in the team. No one ever gave him time or the courtesy of an appointment and he felt it was below his dignity to keep running around in such a desperate, humiliating manner given his past services as a player.

Sad example of the PCB mistreating a Pakistani player. Not the first or the last

I don't think it's just the PCB to blame. If that was the case why hasn't he had PSL, BPL, CPL etc contracts as a coach then.

 

[Faizhassan]

I don't think it's just the PCB to blame. If that was the case why hasn't he had PSL, BPL, CPL etc contracts as a coach then.

Another thing that is very important is Moyo's career trajectory after 2007. He went to ICL, he refused to participate in camps and matches slotted during Ramadan, his declining form and his pathetic captaincy to say the least in Australia, All these things contributed to his downfall, sad predicament as he was my favorite player but goes to show how important grooming is in one's life.

 

[Saj]

Another thing that is very important is Moyo's career trajectory after 2007. He went to ICL, he refused to participate in camps and matches slotted during Ramadan, his declining form and his pathetic captaincy to say the least in Australia, All these things contributed to his downfall, sad predicament as he was my favorite player but goes to show how important grooming is in one's life.

True.

Not the easiest character to work with, according to many in the game.

 

[Zaz]

True.

Not the easiest character to work with, according to many in the game.

He never used to be like this early in his international career From all accounts he was humble non controversial and a good team man Youd never get a word out of him

Post 2006 run and inzys retirement in 2007 he grew a sense of entitlement, feeling he was the biggest senior after him and pcb shouldve laid down the red carpet for him

Overlooked for the captaincy in 2007, he was dropped for the t20 WC and went to the IC

As well as the above his ousting of younis khan and the debacle of the Aus tour Laid the foundations for his demise

The more power and respect he demanded the less pcb wanted to deal with him Then misbah came along who was everything moyo wasnt and that was that

 

[Savak]

I don't think it's just the PCB to blame. If that was the case why hasn't he had PSL, BPL, CPL etc contracts as a coach then.

I get the feeling from Yousaf that he is not a big fan of T-20 Cricket. I have seen him criticize the format many times as he feels it is detrimental to the batting technique and temperament of our younger players. Maybe that is why he avoids having anything to do with the format

 

[Faizhassan]

Yeah but he was quite weak mentally, he was never the part of the captaincy discussions and Younis was groomed to be captain. On the other hand, Misbah was lauded and endorsed by Geoff Lawson as the best cricket brain in Pakistan even when he was not a regular player.

Also, one has to be a bit more politically correct. If he wants that PCB must hire him, one must be a bit more nuanced and he failed there as well. Taking Inzi as example, he never goes on for a rant against PCB and thus is always part of an "inner circle". One must always know what battles one must fight and this is where Yousuf fails.

 

[Savak]

Yeah but he was quite weak mentally, he was never the part of the captaincy discussions and Younis was groomed to be captain. On the other hand, Misbah was lauded and endorsed by Geoff Lawson as the best cricket brain in Pakistan even when he was not a regular player.

Also, one has to be a bit more politically correct. If he wants that PCB must hire him, one must be a bit more nuanced and he failed there as well. Taking Inzi as example, he never goes on for a rant against PCB and thus is always part of an "inner circle". One must always know what battles one must fight and this is where Yousuf fails.

Lol Yousaf is way too blunt at times. He has his favorites like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq who can do no wrong at all. But those in his really bad books i.e. Misbah ul Haq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik will just get constantly criticized by him and very little praise on things where they merit it

 

[Faizhassan]

Lol Yousaf is way too blunt at times. He has his favorites like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq who can do no wrong at all. But those in his really bad books i.e. Misbah ul Haq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik will just get constantly criticized by him and very little praise on things where they merit it

Other thing that I feel is that as he was so naturally gifted, at times he was not able to relate to the struggles of people who are out of form. Because as I recall, as a batsmen, he never went through a bad patch himself for a long period of time except for 2008-2010 from which he never recovered. Comparing to Younis and Misbah, they were able to get themselves out of drought many times through their careers and thus were more relatable to other players with average talents. This is why he cannot become a good coach where Younis and Misbah had been good mentors.

 

[Savak]

First of all, it shouldn't matter if he had an input in selection or not. It is the selection committee and the chief selector's job to select the squad, not his. I'm sure he gave his input like every captain does but it is ultimately the committee's job to select.

Secondly, let's assume Misbah had all this power to select anyone he could have wanted, who could he have selected that would make a difference? Shehzad/Akmal/Sarfraz/Jamshed/Maqsood/Haris were all young/under their prime under him who were given countless chances. Fawad Alam/Sharjeel played under him too. Who were these supposed great batsmen that missed out? Khurram Manzoor? Rashid Latif? Maybe you could argue Fakhar Zaman could have began a couple of years earlier but that's the only one I can think of.

Hell, in just out recent world cup, we had Malik, Sarfraz and Hafeez in our batting lineup. Main difference from then and now is Imam/Fakhar/Babar who overall have the been the best batsmen for Pakistan in ODI for the last couple of years. And Pakistan has an abundance of fast bowlers now and don't have to rely on mediocre bowlers like Gul far past his prime or Rahat Ali/Irfan/Ehsan Adil types of the world.

Don't get me wrong, there is certainly fair criticism of Misbah and the selection committee and the talent he had at the time was woefully bad. He didn't exactly have a lineup to play "attacking cricket" with and talent makes all the difference in the world. Just like how England didn't play attacking cricket prior to 2015 because they simply didn't have the batsmen to do that.

Personally, the biggest criticism I have for Misbah is that he allowed Shafiq and Younis to play at all. Younis had a 28.57 average under him and Shafiq had a disgusting 19.62 average with a 67 SR. They were the middle order and the biggest culprit for consistent failures of those teams. And it's PCB fault as well for pinning all their hopes on Shehzad and Akmal to become stars and carry them and they just kept giving them all the chances in the world.

Its about taking ownership of the team and sadly that is where Misbah fell short. As a captain he just went about leading Pakistan like a day to day job with no vision or aim or targets of where to take Pakistan Cricket or the brand of Cricket to develop or the quality of players to leave behind.

Imran Khan did not hide behind "its the selection commitee's job to select, i can only give my input and suggestions", he fought and demanded to be given the players he wanted in the squad and the players he wanted dropped and he even threatened to resign multiple times in protest.

Also Imran Khan did not hide behind there are no players available in domestic cricket, he kept his eyes open for an eye catching players he found i.e. Waqar Younis, Inzamam, Mushtaq Ahmed, Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar e.t.c.

There was no such aim or desire from Misbah and he just stuck with the same playing eleven day in, day out regardless of how the team did. Mickey Arthur as a policy statement demanded younger players be introduced in the limited overs format from day 1 he took charge and the improvement in our ODI and T-20 brand of cricket was immediately apparent.

 

[Faizhassan]

Its about taking ownership of the team and sadly that is where Misbah fell short. As a captain he just went about leading Pakistan like a day to day job with no vision or aim or targets of where to take Pakistan Cricket or the brand of Cricket to develop or the quality of players to leave behind.

Imran Khan did not hide behind "its the selection commitee's job to select, i can only give my input and suggestions", he fought and demanded to be given the players he wanted in the squad and the players he wanted dropped and he even threatened to resign multiple times in protest.

Also Imran Khan did not hide behind there are no players available in domestic cricket, he kept his eyes open for an eye catching players he found i.e. Waqar Younis, Inzamam, Mushtaq Ahmed, Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar e.t.c.

There was no such aim or desire from Misbah and he just stuck with the same playing eleven day in, day out regardless of how the team did. Mickey Arthur as a policy statement demanded younger players be introduced in the limited overs format from day 1 he took charge and the improvement in our ODI and T-20 brand of cricket was immediately apparent.

Bhai its about the talent that one has at their disposal, we have seen five years of PSL, name me one stand out batsmen in all these seasons for whom you might say that this guy is the next big deal.

Regarding Imran, look at the talent Pakistan had in 90's and what they have now. You cannot compare era's for the sake of it. Misbah had his favorites in Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed but there is strong merit no matter how distorted it is behind these selections.

And dude its a sport, and every individual is different, you are evaluated behind the results, and this is where his record counts.

 

[Savak]

You've hit the nail on the head. I think there are 2 major reasons why our players fail to do this.

The first is that they can never see their playing careers as over until the anvil has already dropped on their heads by the selectors (like realistically, Malik, Hafeez, Wahab, and a few others should see the writing on the wall and start preparing for the future). They see super stars like Wasim Akram, Waqar, Khan, Miandad, Afridi (money wise a superstar, professionally I don't consider him a superstar), Ramiz (again not professionally a superstar but he's played the game well to establish himself) etc and think that it will replicate for them too. They don't realize players like Khan, Akram, Waqar, Miandad breathed, slept, and ate cricket throughout their careers and that hunger brought them the status. Ramiz Raja hustled on the commentary circuit constantly being away from family to get to where he is regardless of what anyone thinks of his work. Middle of the road players do not put in the time and effort but expect the payoff at the end.

The second reason is the lack of a Professional Players association that can put the needs of players first and educate them on future options and help guide the players. This is squarely on the players themselves. For decades they've relied on "senior" players to negotiate for everyone's behalf even though the needs of an established senior player is different from that of a lower level player. You see the cricketers associations of England or Australia or NZ and they're well established. A professional negotiator works to get salaries fixed from their respective boards. They have professional guidance available for players to access regarding whatever they need. Our players need to realize this and get moving on having a players association established. Establish this now and in 5-10 years reap the benefits. Otherwise the same old situation will be happening in a cycle. Someone like Younus Khan has the clout to push for this. He can get former big names like Akram on board, some current big names like Babar and get this moving.

Lack of forward planning is big issue for Pakistani players. I mean how hard is it for someone like Hafeez who seems to be constantly traveling in his off time to get enrolled in an english speaking class in the UK (I'm sure there are online resources available too) so that when he retires he can get into commentary. Even someone like Azhar Ali who spends quite a bit of time in the UK. M. Amir practically lives in the UK now, take the time to use the resources around you to make yourself more marketable. This kind of thing cannot be blamed on the PCB, it is on the players shoulders.

Completely agree with you.

I think Younis Khan has tried in the past to establish a Pakistani Players Association but the PCB has never supported such a step. However even if a players association is set up, given the likes/dislikes/jealousies our cricketing culture is reaked with, i fear this players association too will become infested with dirty politics

Mohd Amir between 2012 to 2015 had ample time to obtain some education but sadly he didn't make the most of the time. He was not even training or practicing his bowling and now he is using the 5 year gap as an excuse for why his bowling is not as great as it is hyped up to be now when in fact one can argue that the 5 year gap may have actually saved him from a career threatening injury.

 

[Savak]

Bhai its about the talent that one has at their disposal, we have seen five years of PSL, name me one stand out batsmen in all these seasons for whom you might say that this guy is the next big deal.

Regarding Imran, look at the talent Pakistan had in 90's and what they have now. You cannot compare era's for the sake of it. Misbah had his favorites in Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed but there is strong merit no matter how distorted it is behind these selections.

And dude its a sport, and every individual is different, you are evaluated behind the results, and this is where his record counts.

Lol, you are talking about results, he left Pakistan at the bottom of the ODI rankings and at the end of his tenure Pakistan was regarded as the most backward limited overs team among the major cricketing nations. You have to try new players in the side to see where your talent stocks are at, even now as coach you can see with the selections how safety first Misbah is where he has recalled Malik and Hafeez for the T-20 format which other countries are using exclusively for their younger lot.

 

[Faizhassan]

Lol, you are talking about results, he left Pakistan at the bottom of the ODI rankings and at the end of his tenure Pakistan was regarded as the most backward limited overs team among the major cricketing nations. You have to try new players in the side to see where your talent stocks are at, even now as coach you can see with the selections how safety first Misbah is where he has recalled Malik and Hafeez for the T-20 format which other countries are using exclusively for their younger lot.

I agree with the limited overs part where he took Pakistan backwards, and he could have supported Haris Sohail and Fawad Alam a bit more but I guess this is where he fails. Thats not what this threat is about though, its about the claim that Yousuf makes that how much of a limited player Misbah is. And sorry to say, Yousuf sounds a sore loser whereas MIsbah rightfully or not is the most powerful man in Pakistani cricket by playing the right cards.

 

[Zaz]

The problem with yousuf is he thinks the biggsr the player the better position respect he should have in terms of a job as captain, with the pcb etc

This entitlement is what cost him his last 2-3 years with the national team

Yes yousuf was a better player but captaincy, coaching has nothing to do with how good a player you are

How you present yourself, man management, diplomacy, analytical ability, decision making under pressure, communication skills, leading by example etc are all skills which im afraid yousuf is bereft of and skills that misbah has in abundance

Yousuf needs to learn some management skills if he wants to have a future in cosching

HThis constant sniping and derogatory comments are the exact opposite of what is needed post your cricketing career

 

[Bullet Drive]

100%

most boring batsman ever. No flair. Nothing.

 

[Slog]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]

Misbah was better than Yousuf when it comes to:
Hitting sixes.
Sweeping spinners.
Being more patient in his temperament.
Running between the wickets.

Funny how you bring up rising to the big occasion:
Misbah = 7 World Cup 50s.
Yousuf = 2 World Cup 50s.

Overseas:
Misbah has 12 ODI 50s in SENA.
He has 8 Test 50+ in SENA.
Look at his performances in:
2013 Champions Trophy.
2015 World Cup.
2011 Test and ODI series in NZ.
2016 Test series in England.
2013 ODI series in South Africa.
2007 Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
And you will regret what you've said about him overseas.

More people know who Misbah is than Yousuf. That is for sure.

Lol Misbah rising to big occasion. How many ODI centuries does he have btw? How many test centuries outside Asia? How many runs overall? Let’s be honest. Even Misbah would not claim he is superior batsman to Yousuf in any aspect.

I am solely talking about batsmanship not personality so don’t try to muddy the water and shift goalposts.

Yousuf is one of the great batsmen of the past 20 years. Misbah has little legacy as a cricketer worth remembering if you take out his captaincy.

 

[Khan12]

Lol Misbah rising to big occasion. How many ODI centuries does he have btw? How many test centuries outside Asia? How many runs overall? Let’s be honest. Even Misbah would not claim he is superior batsman to Yousuf in any aspect.

I am solely talking about batsmanship not personality so don’t try to muddy the water and shift goalposts.

Yousuf is one of the great batsmen of the past 20 years. Misbah has little legacy as a cricketer worth remembering if you take out his captaincy.

Lol. I can't believe people here think misbah is anywhere near yousuf in terms of batting let alone being better then him. This clearly shows their knowledge or lack of it of the game. Misbah has 1 century outside SC in his entire career and some people are calling him a great. With this pathetic logic hafeez is a great too.

 

[topspin]

Where are the lies? Please don't tag me again since you can't reply and run away.

Oh the irony! He has the worst track record when it comes to display honesty on this forum.

 

[topspin]

And he's one of our best they say. LMAO the height of delusional.

You would think Misbah's loyalists would have some shame and keep it a zip on it after ISLU's showing in the tournament.

With Deano, it was going well but if anyone needs a lesson on how to destroy the coaching framework, replace the current set-up with Misbah and the results will be there for everyone to see.

No matter how many times we see him ruin team after team, it will not be suffice to cease the intolerance of Misbah's cheerleaders.

 

[Savak]

The problem with yousuf is he thinks the biggsr the player the better position respect he should have in terms of a job as captain, with the pcb etc

This entitlement is what cost him his last 2-3 years with the national team

Yes yousuf was a better player but captaincy, coaching has nothing to do with how good a player you are

How you present yourself, man management, diplomacy, analytical ability, decision making under pressure, communication skills, leading by example etc are all skills which im afraid yousuf is bereft of and skills that misbah has in abundance

Yousuf needs to learn some management skills if he wants to have a future in cosching

HThis constant sniping and derogatory comments are the exact opposite of what is needed post your cricketing career

I have seen pics of Yousaf attending PCB lectures and coaching courses. I think his feelings of resentment and aggrievement is justified with the PCB on how his career ended. But other than that, he doesn't come across as a person who is desperate for a position in the PCB or Pakistan Cricket, he invested wisely in business interests with his tableeghi jamat crew and he focuses more on religion most of the time and takes out time to excercise, speak on cricketing matters on tv.

 

[topspin]

I have seen pics of Yousaf attending PCB lectures and coaching courses. I think his feelings of resentment and aggrievement is justified with the PCB on how his career ended. But other than that, he doesn't come across as a person who is desperate for a position in the PCB or Pakistan Cricket, he invested wisely in business interests with his tableeghi jamat crew and he focuses more on religion most of the time and takes out time to excercise, speak on cricketing matters on tv.

Agreed. Although, I don't agree with the way him and Younis Khan have reacted, they have every right to feel aggrieved when an inferior technician and tactician (in the case of Younis) has been given the nod over their true expertise in their respective fields,

 

[Faizhassan]

I have seen pics of Yousaf attending PCB lectures and coaching courses. I think his feelings of resentment and aggrievement is justified with the PCB on how his career ended. But other than that, he doesn't come across as a person who is desperate for a position in the PCB or Pakistan Cricket, he invested wisely in business interests with his tableeghi jamat crew and he focuses more on religion most of the time and takes out time to excercise, speak on cricketing matters on tv.

Yousuf is inspired by Saeed Anwer, and Saeed himself is a bit of a mess these days. And if he has invested wisely, why does he claim about the amount. Admit it his man management skills were on display in Australia where he emerged as the biggest whiner in history of Pakistani cricket.

 

[Savak]

Yousuf is inspired by Saeed Anwer, and Saeed himself is a bit of a mess these days. And if he has invested wisely, why does he claim about the amount. Admit it his man management skills were on display in Australia where he emerged as the biggest whiner in history of Pakistani cricket.

Not denying Yousafs weakness.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

His dictatorial personality ensured careers of nice clean good for nothing achey bachey in the team along with well behaved oldies(TTFs).

To be fair, he was coming out of the 2010 scandal. Before that we had the entire 2007 fiasco.

Misbah’s “safe achey bachey” helped us begin moving away from the fixing culture. I would much rather have this and a mediocre team than a team filled with “big shots” who think they can underperform in knock out stages of the world cup (1996, 1999, 2007) or sell out a few matches or extras (Salim Malik, Butt, Asif) and end up disappointing fans intentionally.

It is better to be honest and mediocre than “talented and aggressive” and criminal. It is painful to hear this as a Pakistani, but it is an important step in changing our country’s culture in the right direction. To use your own analogy, a mediocre but honest alternative to the Shareefs and Bhuttos will always be better than the intentionally corrupt and underperforming parties because at the end of the day, it is a step towards a better culture and mindset. Maybe not today and not this year, but 5 or 50 years from now, people will look back and be grateful for the purging of Pakistan’s cricket and politics. It will reap rewards in the long term, even if we may wish those rewards could have come sooner. If we don’t win in 2023, so be it. This is a firm belief of mine. Surely you must agree?

 

[Usman Chadda]

Yousaf in many tv interviews clarified he has twice been in negotiations with the PCB for the batting coach role for the U19, A team and NCA. He even accepted an amount lower than what he asked for and that he would report to the officials he is supposed to report to but the PCB then came out with a wierd stipulation that if someone decided to sue Yousaf for his views on TV channels, the PCB will not be responsible, he even agreed to sign off on this point but the PCB never seriously got back to him and he also got fed up at what he felt was a non serious, insincere attempt to hire him.

Similarly from 2010 to 2012 when Yousaf was available as a player, he repeatedly sought meetings with the likes of Ijaz Butt and Zaka Ashraf on why he was continously ignored for selection and whether the PCB higher ups, selectors had him in mind in their future plans or not, what did they need him to do in order to earn a place back in the team. No one ever gave him time or the courtesy of an appointment and he felt it was below his dignity to keep running around in such a desperate, humiliating manner given his past services as a player.

Sad example of the PCB mistreating a Pakistani player. Not the first or the last

Yousuf was a toxic personality. It was better for Pakistan, he did not end up in the team during those years.

While Misbah was a limited player and a limited captain, he did have success as a Test captain and getting rid of prima donnas helped in that regard.

 

[Usman Chadda]

The problem with yousuf is he thinks the biggsr the player the better position respect he should have in terms of a job as captain, with the pcb etc

This entitlement is what cost him his last 2-3 years with the national team

Yes yousuf was a better player but captaincy, coaching has nothing to do with how good a player you are

How you present yourself, man management, diplomacy, analytical ability, decision making under pressure, communication skills, leading by example etc are all skills which im afraid yousuf is bereft of and skills that misbah has in abundance

Yousuf needs to learn some management skills if he wants to have a future in cosching

HThis constant sniping and derogatory comments are the exact opposite of what is needed post your cricketing career

It's sad because when you hear Yousuf speak on the technical side of the game, you could surmise immediately that he will be perfect for coaching young kids. He needs to work on his temperament and maybe PCB will consider him for a meaningful role.

 

[Greenstorm]

To be fair, he was coming out of the 2010 scandal. Before that we had the entire 2007 fiasco.

Misbah’s “safe achey bachey” helped us begin moving away from the fixing culture. I would much rather have this and a mediocre team than a team filled with “big shots” who think they can underperform in knock out stages of the world cup (1996, 1999, 2007) or sell out a few matches or extras (Salim Malik, Butt, Asif) and end up disappointing fans intentionally.

It is better to be honest and mediocre than “talented and aggressive” and criminal. It is painful to hear this as a Pakistani, but it is an important step in changing our country’s culture in the right direction. To use your own analogy, a mediocre but honest alternative to the Shareefs and Bhuttos will always be better than the intentionally corrupt and underperforming parties because at the end of the day, it is a step towards a better culture and mindset. Maybe not today and not this year, but 5 or 50 years from now, people will look back and be grateful for the purging of Pakistan’s cricket and politics. It will reap rewards in the long term, even if we may wish those rewards could have come sooner. If we don’t win in 2023, so be it. This is a firm belief of mine. Surely you must agree?

No, with due respect, I do not agree.
There is an underlying assumption in your argument that selecting mediocrity is the best way to ensure honesty. It is a common knowledge that bookies normally do not even approach mediocre players, thus making their 'honesty' untested. Moreover, playing mediocre players in place of deserving ones is corruption by itself.

You cannot stop selecting players with talent,flair and aggression on the pretext that they might turn out to be cheats. Only minnows enter in ground with thoughts of 'not losing badly'.

Misbah should have been made a stop-gap captain for atmost 2 years after the 2010 fiasco and then we should have moved on to someone younger/better.