Misbah-ul-Haq's comments regarding the fielding and fitness culture in Pakistan

[Savak]

He made these comments on the Pavilion show when they were talking about Pakistan's pathetic fielding, dropped catches in today's warm up game.

You have to remember he was the Head Coach, Chief Selector of the national side from 2019 to 2021. He commented that there was a general culture problem in Pakistan towards fitness, eating habits which was very hard to overcome and get rid off because the players in both domestic and international cricket by and large had too much power and usually they successfully put pressure on the PCB to do away with tough fitness, excercise, nutrition standards and to get rid of coaches, fitness trainers who refused to compromise on this.

He also commented that the present team management was being very lax on fitness and he mentioned that a lot of players were enjoying very relaxed fitness tests. He definately has a point and look at Haider Ali in the outfield and with a paunch and this guy is what 20, 21 years old.

Everyone knows how i felt about Misbah as a player, as a captain and his era in charge but he is spot on about this.

It appears that the domestic coaches and the PCB have not drilled in the modern fitness, nutritional standards down from the bottom to the top. You just have to look at Sharjeel, Azam and the fact these players don't give a damn about getting fit for the sake of the country because they know they can get away with being obese.

 

[Savak]

Watch his comments from 100 onwards where he talks about how the fitness, fielding of the players has declined in the last few years referencing how slow they are to the ball in the outfield, how slow they run between the wickets, a few players clearly have paunches and how the present team management has given leeway to the team in this regard and coaches, trainers who challenge players to get out of their comfort zones end up getting removed when the players fight back.

 

[Saj]

Reminds me of what one of the coaches said to me a few years ago.

He was organising drills/training - one of the players didn't like it and found it tough, so he complained to the head coach and PCB officials. The coach was told to do different types of drills and training.

 

[Major]

finally savak agrees with Misbah.

Misbah pointed out that the biggest issue came in domestic. Malik tried to retaliate and Misbah also responded him that no player was being given favoritism. THe standard was same for everyone but PCB never implemented

 

[Savak]

finally savak agrees with Misbah.

Misbah pointed out that the biggest issue came in domestic. Malik tried to retaliate and Misbah also responded him that no player was being given favoritism. THe standard was same for everyone but PCB never implemented

Malik commented that the players complained about the fitness, excercise drills being unfair i.e. if a batsman spent an entire day at the wicket and scored a 100 runs, if a fast bowler bowled all day, the trainers required them to run 100 shuttles afterwards.

Misbah retaliated by saying that the players were just making excuses to get rid of the trainers and that no qualified fitness trainer would be stupid enough to over excercise, exhaust the players if they had put in a lot of work in the field of play.

However it is clear the Pakistan Cricket team management and the PCB is giving plenty of leeway to the players with regards to eating habits. Look at the fitness of the Indian players and Pakistani players on average.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Misbah is one of the sharpest minds in Pakistan cricket.

It's a shame he flopped as a coach because his understanding of the game/cricketing culture is second to none in Pakistan.

He gets unfairly blamed for our lack of intent/batsmen like its his fault

He should be given a operational role in the PCB but not in charge of cricketing strategy. Something similar to Andrew Strauss has for the ECB.

 

[ElRaja]

didnt even realise they stopped having bleep tests. they should have annual tests, with published results, for speed, endurance, strength, and other athletic disciplines.

if this stuff was publicised I'm sure the players would be forced to improve. misbah, yk, shoaib all still look in great shape.

 

[Major]

lol they stopp having bleep test? We used to have fitness test in schools as part of our physical education course in Canada.

Pakistan cricket is a joke

 

[ZafarKhan2022]

Misbah is one of the sharpest minds in Pakistan cricket.

It's a shame he flopped as a coach because his understanding of the game/cricketing culture is second to none in Pakistan.

He gets unfairly blamed for our lack of intent/batsmen like its his fault

He should be given a operational role in the PCB but not in charge of cricketing strategy. Something similar to Andrew Strauss has for the ECB.

He was made a scapegoat like everyone who is soft spoken in Pakistan eventually becomes

 

[hitthestump]

It's a shame because Saqlain can't really emphasise fitness when he as an offspinner in a different era didn't really need to be that fit. Saqlain definitely would have no idea how to get all his boys to required fitness levels today.

Still, there are some supremely fit players in Pakistan right now. RizBar are right up there with the best in the world and have been handsomely rewarded for it. It mainly seems our fringe players like Haider don't want to go that extra mile for some reason.

Then on the other end of the scale we have pathetic individuals like Azam and Sharjeel who choose to be morbidly obese rather than put the effort in to become fit and potentially play in national colours. Makes no sense to me but shows that they don't have the mental strength to survive at that level anyway.

 

[Nasty Naz]

There should be a standard fitness criteria required for selection. If you are below it, you're out of the running. Pretty sure this has been talked about for years but has never been implemented. If you're fat and can pass the fitness standard tests, then sure, you can be selected. If you're skinny & you cannot, then you can't.

I will say, for the most part, the players on the team are fit but being fit doesn't automatically mean you are a good fielder. It's something that needs to be learned & worked on and the way you see fielding and dropped catches on the international team, domestic teams & even PJL, it's clear a lot of these kids when they were young, weren't taught how to properly field. Good fielding technique & habits need to be ingrained when they're young kids & coming up, not when they're on the national team and 25 years old.

 

[moghul]

Just look at the coach and you will know why the team culture is so "ant-fitness", does he look like coach of a professional team ?

 

[shujaatraza]

Our cricketers finds themselves eating cakes for one reason or the other every other day.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Agreed with Misbah. It's the player's responsibility to have the drive to attain fitness. Trainers can only train those who are trying to improve.

Mickey said something in the past when he was asked why he was so insistent on fitness. He had said back then, Fitness isn't a replacement of skills but it gives the players the best chance to execute their skills better.

 

[Forum363]

Misbah is one of the sharpest minds in Pakistan cricket.

It's a shame he flopped as a coach because his understanding of the game/cricketing culture is second to none in Pakistan.

He gets unfairly blamed for our lack of intent/batsmen like its his fault

He should be given a operational role in the PCB but not in charge of cricketing strategy. Something similar to Andrew Strauss has for the ECB.

What about him sacking Mickey, saying clearly it wasn’t a conflict of interest because he had no interest in applying for the coaching role… then almost uncontestedly taking the coaching / chief selector role without any experience after retiring.

That screams selfish, devious and not very smart. He thought he could single handedly take on all responsibility without any proper ground work.

 

[D/DAhmed]

What about him sacking Mickey, saying clearly it wasn’t a conflict of interest because he had no interest in applying for the coaching role… then almost uncontestedly taking the coaching / chief selector role without any experience after retiring.

That screams selfish, devious and not very smart. He thought he could single handedly take on all responsibility without any proper ground work.

Correct, Misbah is a shameless man and a terrible cricketing mind, but because of his devious and cunning nature he tricks a lot of people into thinking he understands cricket well until he's in an actual tactical role and fails miserably. He twists and turns his words to make people believe in his tactical nous. I'll give an example as well:

Few years back Misbah was asked a question regarding Sharjeel Khan getting out playing a reverse sweep, to which he categorically responded that he gave Sharjeel a dressing down for playing a shot that wasn't his strength, and rather he played square of the wicket and get out since that was. Yesterday when Wasim brought up the fact that Pakistani batsmen can't play 360-degree shots, Misbah immediately started talking about how they're all discouraged because of the abuse he got for his shot in 2007, and how players aren't 'backed' to play these shots in our system. He conveniently ignored how he himself actively discouraged these shots and spun his own narrative in the studio that everyone's now lapping up.

Here he is again, blaming others for decline of our fielding and fitness levels, when the bleep test and other standards were actually done away with during his time as a coach. The likes of Sharjeel, Azam Khan & Sohaib Maqsood who have been turned away by the current management due to their poor fitness were called up by Misbah during his tenure.

 

[The_KING]

Misbah is one of the sharpest minds in Pakistan cricket.

It's a shame he flopped as a coach because his understanding of the game/cricketing culture is second to none in Pakistan.

He gets unfairly blamed for our lack of intent/batsmen like its his fault

He should be given a operational role in the PCB but not in charge of cricketing strategy. Something similar to Andrew Strauss has for the ECB.

Pakistanis love a scapegoat. And Misbah was the easy target. He wasn't the most flamboyant or charismatic people, so he was an easy target.

 

[D/DAhmed]

Also, as a side note, the current team is probably the fittest Pakistan has had in its history as a cricketing nation. Only Haider Ali and Iftikhar really stand out (and Iftikhar is actually really fit for his age, just that there's a limit to how well 45–50-year old's can move). The problem is that Pakistani cricketers are mental midgets, when the pressure is high or there's a lot of scrutiny on them, they start overthinking and dropping even the simplest catches. It's why after the first catch drop, we almost always see 4-5 in succession, as players can't put previous events behind and let pressure build. This is exactly what's recently happened to the likes of Shadab (Asia Cup), Babar (vs England), Nawaz, Fakhar etc., who are all generally fantastic fielders. Khushdil is another key example of a fine fielder, but the second he started feeling under pressure and thinking about his form, he turned into a horrendous fielder.

 

[daytrader]

Correct, Misbah is a shameless man and a terrible cricketing mind, but because of his devious and cunning nature he tricks a lot of people into thinking he understands cricket well until he's in an actual tactical role and fails miserably. He twists and turns his words to make people believe in his tactical nous. I'll give an example as well:

Few years back Misbah was asked a question regarding Sharjeel Khan getting out playing a reverse sweep, to which he categorically responded that he gave Sharjeel a dressing down for playing a shot that wasn't his strength, and rather he played square of the wicket and get out since that was. Yesterday when Wasim brought up the fact that Pakistani batsmen can't play 360-degree shots, Misbah immediately started talking about how they're all discouraged because of the abuse he got for his shot in 2007, and how players aren't 'backed' to play these shots in our system. He conveniently ignored how he himself actively discouraged these shots and spun his own narrative in the studio that everyone's now lapping up.

Here he is again, blaming others for decline of our fielding and fitness levels, when the bleep test and other standards were actually done away with during his time as a coach. The likes of Sharjeel, Azam Khan & Sohaib Maqsood who have been turned away by the current management due to their poor fitness were called up by Misbah during his tenure.

Twisting words is what you're doing here. In 2021, Sharjeel, Azam and Sohaib Maqsood were selected by our chief selector Mohammad Wasim, who did compromise on fitness standards.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

What about him sacking Mickey, saying clearly it wasn’t a conflict of interest because he had no interest in applying for the coaching role… then almost uncontestedly taking the coaching / chief selector role without any experience after retiring.

That screams selfish, devious and not very smart. He thought he could single handedly take on all responsibility without any proper ground work.

I am very critical of him for this and it was a massive blunder giving him the role(s).

 

[D/DAhmed]

Twisting words is what you're doing here. In 2021, Sharjeel, Azam and Sohaib Maqsood were selected by our chief selector Mohammad Wasim, who did compromise on fitness standards.

You're correct, that's my mistake. But Misbah himself was still no saint, the likes of Ahsan Ali and Umar Akmal were called up during his tenure Not to mention that both Sharjeel and Maqsood made their international debuts under Misbah's captaincy - surely if he had such strong ideals regarding fitness, he would have rejected such players even playing for him?

 

[Rana]

Everything Misbah says on these talk shows is contradictory to what he actually does as a coach and player.

Nothing he says has credibility

 

[Greenstorm]

Pakistan is back to winning ways since this incompetent dictator has been removed. That's all that matters.

Also, it shows his deficient character where he has to compare present management with his own days. Not any different from typical bitter ex cricketer.

 

[reversehook]

Lolz saqlain's fitness tips: boys ap ne jo khaana hai khaien, bas waada karain game day pr ap apna 100% dein gey, and let nature take its course.... Moya ik min mein aaaya, mere baghaair biryaani na khaien......

As they discussed the other day, there r too many parchi's in the system, and certain players get pushed into the team without merit becuase they have backing frok certain quarters and dont need to focus on fitness etc.

Also, at the same time, even if these guys were doing good fitness, the whole system of pcb is a joke, from the ceo to the malshi if team.... our cricketers are andhon mein kaana raaja types, they just happen to be better or have a solid parchi... they arent true athletes.

 

[TheSultan]

Misbah is great and finding reasons and excuses. Problem is the reasons he does nothing about (even when given the most powerful job in the history of Pak cricket. And the excuses are there when he fails.

I have never ever ever heard him take responsibility for a loss or poor performance. When he’s directly involved with the team there’s an excuse. When he’s not involved he has reasons. Maybe a play for being selected to fix using the reasons he’s identified. And when he fails at that, there’s the excuse.

And the cycle goes on and on. I fully expect him to worm his way back in to some sort of coaching capacity with the national team. And on it will go

 

[Savak]

People are digressing. You can't dispute with facts that a lot of Pakistani players are below par in terms of fitness in the present teams and some are carrying bellies and that is badly affected the team's outfielding, catching and running between the wickets.

 

[pakfan54588]

Misbah is right even captain sahab have put on some weight

 

[jnaveen1980]

Misbah is right even captain sahab have put on some weight

So it is not just me. Babar looks so unathletic.

 

[Savak]

The culture of the team is determined by the captain. India became a super fit team under Virat Kohli who refused to compromise on fitness. Babar in comparison has created a culture of complacency and comfort zones in the team.

 

[Rana]

So it is not just me. Babar looks so unathletic.

He is cousin of Akmals

Even water will increase his weight

 

[hitthestump]

So it is not just me. Babar looks so unathletic.

Come on. The guy can clearly sprint 1's and 2's all day. Muscle mass is not an indicator of cardiovascular ability and it is not always an indicator of strength either.

 

[hitthestump]

The culture of the team is determined by the captain. India became a super fit team under Virat Kohli who refused to compromise on fitness. Babar in comparison has created a culture of complacency and comfort zones in the team.

Hilarious statement. I'd ask you to back this up but given you have obviously pulled this out of thin air it'd be folly to waste any time.

 

[Rana]

Come on. The guy can clearly sprint 1's and 2's all day. Muscle mass is not an indicator of cardiovascular ability and it is not always an indicator of strength either.

Glass half full for your favourites?

Umar Akmal was one of the best boundary riders in Pakistan even when he was considered unfit/overweight

 

[Major]

misbah also took responsibility for the players selected in his tenure, albit he did said that other forces were involved in getting such players selected

 

[Saj]

Reminds me of what one of the coaches said to me a few years ago.

He was organising drills/training - one of the players didn't like it and found it tough, so he complained to the head coach and PCB officials. The coach was told to do different types of drills and training.

Needless to say this player didn't last long when a stricter head coach was employed by PCB.

 

[Arabian_Tiger]

Must have been UMAR AKMAL.

 

[Savak]

Hilarious statement. I'd ask you to back this up but given you have obviously pulled this out of thin air it'd be folly to waste any time.

Just look at his selections, persisting with serial failures in the middle order and not backing down even when pressed by the Chairman and Chief Selector to be more flexible and have a rethink. Look at the declining fitness levels of plenty of the players in the team.

 

[Technics 1210]

Classic Misbah, always complaining.

The reason he flopped as a coach is because he lost all authority and respect, even his alleged technical nuance couldn't save him.

No point crying over spilled milk now Misbah, given you had the chance to make a difference and blew it!

Foot note history, Pakistan team are still paying for Misbah's mindset, and the quicker we move on, the better.

 

[TheSultan]

The guy just talks rubbish.

Do we have a fitness problem now. Yes

Did we have a fitness problem with Misbah in charge. Yes

Did he do anything to further players’ fitness standards. No

His ridiculous “nuances” people talk about - where was his “nuance” when he decided to bowl amir in to the ground when he had 5 years out of any cricket?

Fitness is not just about fat and slim or passing fitness tests.

 

[Rana]

Must have been UMAR AKMAL.

It definitely wasn’t Shan Masood but…

 

[daytrader]

Classic Misbah, always complaining.

The reason he flopped as a coach is because he lost all authority and respect, even his alleged technical nuance couldn't save him.

No point crying over spilled milk now Misbah, given you had the chance to make a difference and blew it!

Foot note history, Pakistan team are still paying for Misbah's mindset, and the quicker we move on, the better.

Jee bilkul. Since he lost his respect why are we still using his methods? All the brains they hired yet the strategy and players are from Misbah's influence. Some of you guys will say anything to malign him

 

[daytrader]

Misbah is great and finding reasons and excuses. Problem is the reasons he does nothing about (even when given the most powerful job in the history of Pak cricket. And the excuses are there when he fails.

I have never ever ever heard him take responsibility for a loss or poor performance. When he’s directly involved with the team there’s an excuse. When he’s not involved he has reasons. Maybe a play for being selected to fix using the reasons he’s identified. And when he fails at that, there’s the excuse.

And the cycle goes on and on. I fully expect him to worm his way back in to some sort of coaching capacity with the national team. And on it will go

Oh bhai he wasn't given a proper chance, didn't even get a WC like the other coaches yet we are still using his methods. So you can't say he didn't do anything and then continue to complain about the Misbah mindset in the team today

 

[Technics 1210]

Jee bilkul. Since he lost his respect why are we still using his methods? All the brains they hired yet the strategy and players are from Misbah's influence. Some of you guys will say anything to malign him

Why are we using his methods? Because it takes decades to separate oil from water.

 

[topspin]

Misbah can talk all he wants about fitness and fielding but when it was his turn to bat, he was obsessed with accumulating dot balls.

This guy is doing punditry and having interviews done in Pakistan. Have some shame after the state you've left Pakistan cricket in and for the way you ousted Mickey Arthur in order to secure a role for yourself despite having no relevant experience and qualifications.

Even to this day, Misbah's defensive and small team mentality is very much prevalent in the current team and has no signs of waning any time soon.

 

[daytrader]

Why are we using his methods? Because it takes decades to separate oil from water.

But Mickey turned it around in years not decades right?

Misbah is here to stay whether people like it or not. So whatever new method there will be, he will have an influence over it. That's just the level of respect he commands

 

[Technics 1210]

But Mickey turned it around in years not decades right?

Misbah is here to stay whether people like it or not. So whatever new method there will be, he will have an influence over it. That's just the level of respect he commands

Mickey needed a few years because he was respected unlike Misbah, and as a result, Pakistan won the CT17 under Mickey's albeit brief tenure.

Misbah on the other hand planted the seeds of a defensive mentality which will take ages to recover from.

Misbah is still here, Mickey is not, hence the curse of Misbah lives on.

Facts do not care about feelings.

 

[topspin]

But Mickey turned it around in years not decades right?

Misbah is here to stay whether people like it or not. So whatever new method there will be, he will have an influence over it. That's just the level of respect he commands

2013 CT - held in England

Captain and Coach: Misbah and Waqar
Outcome: Lost every single game

2017 CT - also held in England

Captain and Coach: Sarfraz and Mickey
Outcome: won the CT

So Mickey in his stint did do something to not only turn it around but completely change his side's fortunes. This is the bitter reality that Misbah and his loyalists must swallow.

 

[daytrader]

Nope, Mickey needed a few years because he was respected unlike Misbah, and as a result, Pakistan won the CT17 under Mickey's albeit brief tenure.

Facts do not care about feelings.

Pakistan won because we had a smart captain. Mickey's influence is debatable.

 

[topspin]

Pakistan won because we had a smarter captain than Misbah.

Fixed for you.

 

[Technics 1210]

Pakistan won because we had a smart captain. Mickey's influence is debatable.

You call it debatable, but the main role of a coach is to maintain and preserve the mindset of the team. Mickey instilled a positive mindset, unlike Misbah.

Positive mindset begets performances.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

2013 CT - held in England

Captain and Coach: Misbah and Waqar
Outcome: Lost every single game

2017 CT - also held in England

Captain and Coach: Sarfraz and Mickey
Outcome: won the CT

So Mickey in his stint did do something to not only turn it around but completely change his side's fortunes. This is the bitter reality that Misbah and his loyalists must swallow.

Mickey was a very good coach and did well identifying talent.

He was a flawed test match coach though and didnt know how to win tests in Asia.

I'd like him back one day.

Misbah was a fantastic test match Captain and batter. He was also a solid FC/Domestic player.

His big flaw was one day captaincy and he made some errors in coaching.

But life isnt black or white. We can appreciate the good while recognising the bad.

 

[daytrader]

Fixed for you.

No doubt Sarfraz was a better ODI captain but the difference is not much. Misbah though was a way better red ball captain

 

[Markhor]

Our experts talk so much sense in the TV studio, yet never practice what they preach in positions of responsibility.

Misbah if fitness is a priority, why did you select Umar Akmal, Azam Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Irfan and Sharjeel Khan ? If professional is all-important, why did you recall troublemaker Ahmed Shehzad in your very first T20 squad vs Sri Lanka ?

The only time I've seen a genuinely fit, gun Pakistani fielding unit was that 12 months between late 2017-18. This is not me being a Mickey fan-boy, you can check the stats we had one of the best catching percentages in the world - above even traditionally gun fielding teams like SAF and NZL. The West Indies team management in their 2016 tour told Mickey that was the fittest Pakistan side they've seen.

As soon as we returned to desi coaches, unsurprisingly the standards have slipped. Those repeated collisions during the Asia Cup were embarrassing. Our people are too lax. Saqlain is less a professional head coach and more a roadside philosopher.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Our experts talk so much sense in the TV studio, yet never practice what they preach in positions of responsibility.

Misbah if fitness is a priority, why did you select Umar Akmal, Azam Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Irfan and Sharjeel Khan ? If professional is all-important, why did you recall troublemaker Ahmed Shehzad in your very first T20 squad vs Sri Lanka ?

The only time I've seen a genuinely fit, gun Pakistani fielding unit was that 12 months between late 2017-18. This is not me being a Mickey fan-boy, you can check the stats we had one of the best catching percentages in the world - above even traditionally gun fielding teams like SAF and NZL. The West Indies team management in their 2016 tour told Mickey that was the fittest Pakistan side they've seen.

As soon as we returned to desi coaches, unsurprisingly the standards have slipped. Those repeated collisions during the Asia Cup were embarrassing. Our people are too lax. Saqlain is less a professional head coach and more a roadside philosopher.

Now this is where it gets interesting.

Generally the more deranged Misbah haters on the forum are big fans of the bolded players.

Let's see the gold medal gymnastics that will take place

 

[Babeikh]

Misbah is right but unfortunately this culture in Pakistan cricket goes all the way from the top to the bottom. As long as we have 'fans' advocating for obesities like Sharjeel and Azam, it won't change at the top either.

 

[Savak]

Not sure if anyone watched today's program but there was a debate between Misbah ul Haq and Shoaib Malik regarding Harris Sohail. Malik said that no one in the PCB had contacted Haris Sohail and communicated with him with regards to Fitness expectations and the PCB adopted double standards with its favoured and unfavoured players. Misbah on the other hand stuck to his guns and said the PCB and others had indeed consulted Haris Sohail, he is not a school kid who needs pampering and ultimately the player himself has to take responsibility for himself.

 

[asadee]

Misbah is the saving grace of this show. The 2 Ws are out of their depth and Malik is just cheap and dirty with his silly jokes and agenda driven comments

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Just look at the coach and you will know why the team culture is so "ant-fitness", does he look like coach of a professional team ?

He should start devouring sugar free halwa.

 

[daytrader]

Not sure if anyone watched today's program but there was a debate between Misbah ul Haq and Shoaib Malik regarding Harris Sohail. Malik said that no one in the PCB had contacted Haris Sohail and communicated with him with regards to Fitness expectations and the PCB adopted double standards with its favoured and unfavoured players. Misbah on the other hand stuck to his guns and said the PCB and others had indeed consulted Haris Sohail, he is not a school kid who needs pampering and ultimately the player himself has to take responsibility for himself.

Gotta start watching this show. Misbah will set lots of records straight here.

In his career he was one to not air any dirty laundry in public. Kept quiet to alot of criticism. Should be interesting takes from him

 

[TheSultan]

Oh bhai he wasn't given a proper chance, didn't even get a WC like the other coaches yet we are still using his methods. So you can't say he didn't do anything and then continue to complain about the Misbah mindset in the team today

Oh bhai leave it. He was given a super extended run as captain. No one in pak history had a run like that since imran khan with zero accountability. He left noone any choice with his coaching tenure. Probably the most pathetic of all. Not only were the results poor, he came back to indoctrinate another generation with his cowardly defensive approach. He took the team to some serious depths when he was coach. He was humiliated in every away series. Even the more inexperienced mickey arthur / sarfraz team drew a series in England. He turned a no1 T20 team in to a nothing team that wasn’t going anywhere.

Oh yes he did plenty with the team - the problem is it was probably the worst thing you can do to a team. That’s why we’re still feeling the effects. Look at all the nations around - they are all embracing a more modern brand of batting. Some may succeed, some may fail, but they are trying. We’re stuck with Misbaism.

 

[TheSultan]

Misbah is the saving grace of this show. The 2 Ws are out of their depth and Malik is just cheap and dirty with his silly jokes and agenda driven comments

Misbah is so boring to listen to. Waqar and Wasim are better in the show than when they commentate. I enjoy listening to them more. You’re completely right about malik - he’s a very poor addition. No idea what they were thinking. It might be better he’s called in to the reserves for the World Cup so we don’t have to listen to his bakwas.

The biggest loss is Wahab. He was the best of the lot last year. I think he could have a great career as an analyst.

 

[D/DAhmed]

Our experts talk so much sense in the TV studio, yet never practice what they preach in positions of responsibility.

Misbah if fitness is a priority, why did you select Umar Akmal, Azam Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Irfan and Sharjeel Khan ? If professional is all-important, why did you recall troublemaker Ahmed Shehzad in your very first T20 squad vs Sri Lanka ?

The only time I've seen a genuinely fit, gun Pakistani fielding unit was that 12 months between late 2017-18. This is not me being a Mickey fan-boy, you can check the stats we had one of the best catching percentages in the world - above even traditionally gun fielding teams like SAF and NZL. The West Indies team management in their 2016 tour told Mickey that was the fittest Pakistan side they've seen.

As soon as we returned to desi coaches, unsurprisingly the standards have slipped. Those repeated collisions during the Asia Cup were embarrassing. Our people are too lax. Saqlain is less a professional head coach and more a roadside philosopher.

Rubbish. This current Pakistan team is by far the fittest we’ve ever had. Only Haider seems unfit, the rest would pass all fitness standards. In fact guys like Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen etc can count themselves amongst the fittest cricketers in the world. The only technically poor fielders in this side are Dahani and Hasnain, who are both benchwarmers.

The problem in our fielding is mental, after a dropped catch our mental midgets can’t cope with the added stress and poor fielding spreads like a plague throughout the team as they all start to worry. It’s why the likes of Fakhar, Shadab, Babar, Nawaz and Khushdil dropped multiple catches in crunch situations

 

[shah_1]

I don't see any player with any tummy or being unfit. Only ifti looks slow that is because of age.


Misbah is talking rubbish. Our players lack skills, not fitness

 

[James]

Got to be doing the bleep test.

Even fat British policemen in their 40s have to get a 5.5 in the bleep test now and again to avoid being put onto special measures.

 

[ZafarKhan2022]

2013 CT - held in England

Captain and Coach: Misbah and Waqar
Outcome: Lost every single game

2017 CT - also held in England

Captain and Coach: Sarfraz and Mickey
Outcome: won the CT

So Mickey in his stint did do something to not only turn it around but completely change his side's fortunes. This is the bitter reality that Misbah and his loyalists must swallow.

Captain and Coach: Babar and Saqlain
Outcome: World cup coming up

 

[ZafarKhan2022]

Even fat British policemen in their 40s have to get a 5.5 in the bleep test now and again to avoid being put onto special measures.

Pics or it didn't happen

 

[Major]

Our experts talk so much sense in the TV studio, yet never practice what they preach in positions of responsibility.

Misbah if fitness is a priority, why did you select Umar Akmal, Azam Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Irfan and Sharjeel Khan ? If professional is all-important, why did you recall troublemaker Ahmed Shehzad in your very first T20 squad vs Sri Lanka ?

The only time I've seen a genuinely fit, gun Pakistani fielding unit was that 12 months between late 2017-18. This is not me being a Mickey fan-boy, you can check the stats we had one of the best catching percentages in the world - above even traditionally gun fielding teams like SAF and NZL. The West Indies team management in their 2016 tour told Mickey that was the fittest Pakistan side they've seen.

As soon as we returned to desi coaches, unsurprisingly the standards have slipped. Those repeated collisions during the Asia Cup were embarrassing. Our people are too lax. Saqlain is less a professional head coach and more a roadside philosopher.

Markhor, misbah answered this question today.

He said when it came to Sharjeel and Azam Khan there were other forces within PCB that were getting htem selected even though he made the standards same for fitness and wasnt in favour of their selection.

But than Misbah also said that he takes responsibility that it was a failiure on part of himself as this only damages Pak Cricket.

 

[Major]

Not sure if anyone watched today's program but there was a debate between Misbah ul Haq and Shoaib Malik regarding Harris Sohail. Malik said that no one in the PCB had contacted Haris Sohail and communicated with him with regards to Fitness expectations and the PCB adopted double standards with its favoured and unfavoured players. Misbah on the other hand stuck to his guns and said the PCB and others had indeed consulted Haris Sohail, he is not a school kid who needs pampering and ultimately the player himself has to take responsibility for himself.

Malik is terrible, i was expecting some sense and logic by this guy.

He talks nonsense all the time, and is non serious. Misbah, Waseem and Waqar would be having a serious discussion and Malik will butt in with a dumb comment. Many times Misbah would have to signal Malik to be quiet when he is giving a serious response.

Wahab Riaz was much much much better and is already being missed. Malik is lame.

Plus, Malik has alot of issues. The first thing as you pointed is the Haris Sohail one. Basically, Malik, who talked about fitness standards is now saying that Haris should be in the team. Harris poor fitness is no secret. Everyone on this forum knows that Hariss has pathetic fitness and the only reason he is out of the team is because of his poor fitness standards. Waseem also mentioned this that in the KPL he saw his poor fitness and than Misbah said that although he is a player that can still be considered for ODI, he has poor fitness.

Malik started to whine, that no you should communciate this to him, they dont know blabla. Misbah said it on Malik's face that for the last two years we have been telling him and he is not a kid who we will be forcing and holding his hand, its up to him.

Malik also had issue with Imad Waseem not being selected even though the guy doesnt play Pakistani domestic.
Misbah again said that if Imad Waseem wants to play for Pakistan, atleast do show up for Pakistani domestic season and prove his case. Plus, Nawaz is performing now and is gonna keep the spot on merit. Imads form went down and doesnt wanna prove himself by playing in Pakistan domestic.

Malik has soo many things to whine about but he fails to see that players themselves are responsible in some issue.

Tomr i will try to put forward my question with regards to why wasnt Mansoor Amjad given an extended run when Malik was at the helms of things.

Guy complains alot

 

[Markhor]

Rubbish. This current Pakistan team is by far the fittest we’ve ever had. Only Haider seems unfit, the rest would pass all fitness standards. In fact guys like Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen etc can count themselves amongst the fittest cricketers in the world. The only technically poor fielders in this side are Dahani and Hasnain, who are both benchwarmers.

The problem in our fielding is mental, after a dropped catch our mental midgets can’t cope with the added stress and poor fielding spreads like a plague throughout the team as they all start to worry. It’s why the likes of Fakhar, Shadab, Babar, Nawaz and Khushdil dropped multiple catches in crunch situations

How do we know they're meeting fitness standards if Saqlain isn't conducting bleep tests and has loosened the fitness requirements (if what Misbah's alleging is accurate) ? "Looking fit" and meeting measurable benchmarks of fitness are totally different, and I'd be interested to see how our fitness levels compare with international standards.

We had players cramping every few overs in the Asia Cup in nearly every match. Other teams played in the same oppressive conditions and didn't seem to suffer as much.

I agree regarding mentality. The wheels come off very quickly when a catch is dropped - one drop becomes two, three etc and you can visibly see the anxiety transmit throughout the team. However their catching techniques and even basics like calling for a catch are also lacking - we saw a ridiculous number of collisions during the Asia Cup.

Unless we start investing in proper fielding coaches who conduct serious fielding drills at junior and domestic level, then you cannot be surprised when we see shoddy fielding in internationals.

 

[Major]

The guy just talks rubbish.

Do we have a fitness problem now. Yes

Did we have a fitness problem with Misbah in charge. Yes

Did he do anything to further players’ fitness standards. No

His ridiculous “nuances” people talk about - where was his “nuance” when he decided to bowl amir in to the ground when he had 5 years out of any cricket?

Fitness is not just about fat and slim or passing fitness tests.

if you are fit, you pass your fitness test.

FItness isn't about standing in ground or running between wickets all day.

Players with poor fitness cant convert singles into twos, and when they get too tired they start playing rash shots and get themselves out as they cant rotate strike. Best case study is Umar Akmal. Poor fitness, thus to make up runs he would try to play shots on three consecutive deliveries which would always make him get out.

One of the reasons why we tied a test series with England under his cpatiancy was because of the fitness regime they had placed.

Anyways, Misbah was proven right in the long run as only those players survived and made a comeback that were fit.

Sarfraz Ahmad's ICC trophy couldn't even save him as he became fat and with poor fitness and no form he was thrown out. No player with poor fitness survived.

Rizwan made his comeback because of being fit and atheletic. Shan Masood is in the team because the guy has fitness. Iftikhar ahmad has maintained his fitness levels aswell.

 

[hitthestump]

Just look at his selections, persisting with serial failures in the middle order and not backing down even when pressed by the Chairman and Chief Selector to be more flexible and have a rethink. Look at the declining fitness levels of plenty of the players in the team.

Under Babar's captaincy we have tried almost every realistic middle order player so you are completely wrong there.

The fitness levels of the overall team are fine. Some of them are supremely fit including Babar himself. He's also gone a step further where the old timers have been ditched from the short formats and the fatties continue to be shunned.

Let's have a look at some of the aspects of Babar's captaincy that we've seen this year alone which complete refute your silly claim about comfort zones and complacency amongst the squad:

- Hafeez and Malik out of the team completely
- Dropped big names like Fakhar, Yasir Shah and Fawad Alam
- Sent best mate Hasan Ali to the shadow realm whereby he is not even in the picture anymore
- Ditched Imad Wasim for Nawaz
- Shadab, Rauf, Rizwan and Shaheen have massively improved and seemingly get better everyday
- Has consistently maintained his own standards as a world class batsman
- Rizwan got to number 1 in t20 rankings (which is an overachievement whichever way you look at it)

I could go on but your claim about a culture of comfort zones is just hilariously wrong.

 

[Rana]

Rizwan made his comeback because of being fit and atheletic. Shan Masood is in the team because the guy has fitness. Iftikhar ahmad has maintained his fitness levels aswell.

Maafi de de yaar

They are all rubbish, mediocre white ball cricketers and have no impact whatsoever in the grand scheme of the game. Literally none! Teams do not consider them a threat at all.

As far as their fitness is concerned…

Rizwan is playing cricket on one leg and has at least 3x 5 minute injury breaks per match

Shan Masood is a butter fingers and gets no response from Rizwan when he wants to take Singles for his nudges straight into the fielders hands

Iftikhar looool. He can’t run 2 on a clear 2 let alone convert 1 into 2.

 

[Markhor]

Under Babar's captaincy we have tried almost every realistic middle order player so you are completely wrong there.

The fitness levels of the overall team are fine. Some of them are supremely fit including Babar himself. He's also gone a step further where the old timers have been ditched from the short formats and the fatties continue to be shunned.

Let's have a look at some of the aspects of Babar's captaincy that we've seen this year alone which complete refute your silly claim about comfort zones and complacency amongst the squad:

- Hafeez and Malik out of the team completely
- Dropped big names like Fakhar, Yasir Shah and Fawad Alam
- Sent best mate Hasan Ali to the shadow realm whereby he is not even in the picture anymore
- Ditched Imad Wasim for Nawaz
- Shadab, Rauf, Rizwan and Shaheen have massively improved and seemingly get better everyday
- Has consistently maintained his own standards as a world class batsman
- Rizwan got to number 1 in t20 rankings (which is an overachievement whichever way you look at it)

I could go on but your claim about a culture of comfort zones is just hilariously wrong.

How can a player be judged supremely fit in the absence of any rigorous and objective fitness testing ?

It's like passing a driving test without ever stepping into a car.

 

[topspin]

Maafi de de yaar

They are all rubbish, mediocre white ball cricketers and have no impact whatsoever in the grand scheme of the game. Literally none! Teams do not consider them a threat at all.

As far as their fitness is concerned…

Rizwan is playing cricket on one leg and has at least 3x 5 minute injury breaks per match

Shan Masood is a butter fingers and gets no response from Rizwan when he wants to take Singles for his nudges straight into the fielders hands

Iftikhar looool. He can’t run 2 on a clear 2 let alone convert 1 into 2.

I'm not entirely convinced by Shan in white ball cricket on slower wickets but I wouldn't write him off in Australian conditions.

He's a good player when it comes to scoring off the back foot on the offside and legside. This is evident by his performances during Pakistan's last tours of Australia and South Africa where he was one of the top 2 batsmen in each tour.

We also saw glimpses of what he can do on bouncy wickets in the warm up game against England. Do you really think Babar and Rizwan would show that kind of intent? I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he outperforms them in the upcoming WT20.

After this tournament, I'm with you we have to move on from him in T20Is and possibly ODIs as well.

What we can agree is Rizwan is a far bigger concern than Shan Masood in respect of the WT20 because it's relatively easy for half decent international bowlers to eliminate his scoring areas. All you have to do is pitch it full and wide outside off stump. Most bowlers will figure him out because lets no forget he won't be feasting on B and C string attacks.

 

[hitthestump]

How can a player be judged supremely fit in the absence of any rigorous and objective fitness testing ?

It's like passing a driving test without ever stepping into a car.

Fine, but to be able to score 200+ partnership within 20 overs in the desert is not a joke. At the very least we know he's fit enough to do that, and that means he is indeed very fit.

 

[Major]

Fine, but to be able to score 200+ partnership within 20 overs in the desert is not a joke. At the very least we know he's fit enough to do that, and that means he is indeed very fit.

again nope.

An unfit player wont run. He will try to hack shots and hope to connect a few. Something that Umar Akmal loved doing and lost his wicket often.

Just because you can play in the sun, means nothing if you dont have fitness

 

[topspin]

Mickey was a very good coach and did well identifying talent.

Spot on. He was instrumental in the development of Babar, Shaheen, Fakhar, Imad Wasim and Hasan Ali (before he let fame get to his head after the CT).

He was a flawed test match coach though and didnt know how to win tests in Asia.

A number of posters think this because of that one series Pakistan lost in UAE against Sri Lanka but what we have to remember is that was a batting line-up in transition. Younis Khan (ATG player of spin) and Misbah had retired from tests and at the time Babar Azam wasn't exactly great against the spin bowling.

But the decision to play one spinner in UAE was a shocker. I blame Mickey and Sarfraz collectively for this rookie error.

Misbah was a fantastic test match Captain and batter. He was also a solid FC/Domestic player.

His big flaw was one day captaincy and he made some errors in coaching.

In tests Misbah led the side admirably at a time when Pakistan's reputation in the cricketing world was in tatters. He deserves full credit for what he did in 2010 up until 2012. In 2013, that drawn series against a very poor Zimbabwe side should have been his last series as captain of the test side.

But life isnt black or white . We can appreciate the good while recognising the bad.

Fully agree but I genuinely believe the damage he did to Pakistan cricket significantly outweighs the good contributions he made.

 

[Savak]

Our experts talk so much sense in the TV studio, yet never practice what they preach in positions of responsibility.

Misbah if fitness is a priority, why did you select Umar Akmal, Azam Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Irfan and Sharjeel Khan ? If professional is all-important, why did you recall troublemaker Ahmed Shehzad in your very first T20 squad vs Sri Lanka ?

The only time I've seen a genuinely fit, gun Pakistani fielding unit was that 12 months between late 2017-18. This is not me being a Mickey fan-boy, you can check the stats we had one of the best catching percentages in the world - above even traditionally gun fielding teams like SAF and NZL. The West Indies team management in their 2016 tour told Mickey that was the fittest Pakistan side they've seen.

As soon as we returned to desi coaches, unsurprisingly the standards have slipped. Those repeated collisions during the Asia Cup were embarrassing. Our people are too lax. Saqlain is less a professional head coach and more a roadside philosopher.

Steve Rixon was our fielding coach. There was something about his methods that clicked with the Pakistani team. Unfortunately the PCB failed to pay him his salary on time and he was unhappy with the facilities he got at the NCA in Lahore, he was annoyed at the poor internet connection. Our fielding went to **** when he left.

 

[Kianig89]

How hypocrite they sound Misbah himself selected and persisted with unfit players as Zulfiqar Babar Riffatullah Tanvir Ahmed Yasir Shah and now harping about fitness culture blah blah

 

[Energy]

It's easy to complain and whine. That's what gives you content to run these talk shows.

It's hard to look at the positives and highlight them and then suggest ways to improve.