I am no Misbah fan, but this has in some ways been the most successful Pakistan tour of all time.
Yes, they have lost this series, whereas in the past they won three earlier series in England and drew the last two.
But look closer. It has been a huge diplomatic coup and will see Pakistan invited more often and for longer tours. And Pakistan are viewed as positive, desirable and welcome visitors, and are now trusted and admired in a way that they have not been before.
There have been none of the earlier scandals of fixing and Ovalgate.
There has been none of the acrimony of the Imran-era complaints about Home Umpires.
The team has come in a Pandemic to a badly affected nation, and spent a month in substandard accommodation before the Test series. Their sacrifice was noted, and appreciated. (I argued against the tour, and must acknowledge that).
Pakistan have been competitive throughout, narrowly losing a Test they had almost won and showing huge character to fight to salvage a draw in the Third Test.
Azhar has been an affable and charming visiting skipper in a way in which Sarfraz and Inzamam lacked the English language skills to ever be. Everyone was happy when he scored his career-saving century. People like Azhar and genuinely wish him well.
Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis are always cherished visitors who are always welcome in England and who spent significant time on Sky TV. Misbah and Younis Khan are less often seen on English TV, but are popular visitors too.
And lastly, so is Wasim Khan, who is himself English anyway. His interviews on Sky TV presented a completely different face to the English public than has been seen in recent times. Here was an educated, sophisticated and humble man who was clearly both English and Pakistani. People like Sarfraz and Inzamam and Shahid Afridi were clearly not as at ease as Wasim Khan and Azhar Ali are in England.
(Ironically Salman Butt was also a touring skipper who "fitted in", and until the fixing debacle he was well-received in England too, but that was only 4 years after Oval-gate, and the combination of Inzamam's behaviour in 2006 and Salman and Ijaz Butt's in 2010 had made Pakistan into deeply unwelcome guests. Not any more!)
And Wasim Khan has ensured that the British cricket-watching public has gleaned an understanding of Pakistan cricket that it has for no other Asian country. The lunch break documentary series about Pakistan coming out of exile was superb, and Wasim Khan and Imran Khan and Ehsan Mani deserve enormous credit for their participation.
Pakistan has slightly underachieved on the field - they should have won the First Test and therefore would have finished with 40 World Test Championship points more than England. But compared with India, who lost their last two series in England 4-1 and 3-1, the difference in competitiveness was vast.
But like the West Indies’ legendary 1960-61 tour of Australia, this touring team which lost narrowly has actually been the most important one of all.
Sometimes even in defeat there can be victories. This is one such time, when a marginalised nation won over a Big Three member and gave itself the chance of a new status in cricket.
Wasim Khan, Misbah and Azhar Ali are not my cup of tea, but all three deserve our appreciation at this time.
Yes, they have lost this series, whereas in the past they won three earlier series in England and drew the last two.
But look closer. It has been a huge diplomatic coup and will see Pakistan invited more often and for longer tours. And Pakistan are viewed as positive, desirable and welcome visitors, and are now trusted and admired in a way that they have not been before.
There have been none of the earlier scandals of fixing and Ovalgate.
There has been none of the acrimony of the Imran-era complaints about Home Umpires.
The team has come in a Pandemic to a badly affected nation, and spent a month in substandard accommodation before the Test series. Their sacrifice was noted, and appreciated. (I argued against the tour, and must acknowledge that).
Pakistan have been competitive throughout, narrowly losing a Test they had almost won and showing huge character to fight to salvage a draw in the Third Test.
Azhar has been an affable and charming visiting skipper in a way in which Sarfraz and Inzamam lacked the English language skills to ever be. Everyone was happy when he scored his career-saving century. People like Azhar and genuinely wish him well.
Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis are always cherished visitors who are always welcome in England and who spent significant time on Sky TV. Misbah and Younis Khan are less often seen on English TV, but are popular visitors too.
And lastly, so is Wasim Khan, who is himself English anyway. His interviews on Sky TV presented a completely different face to the English public than has been seen in recent times. Here was an educated, sophisticated and humble man who was clearly both English and Pakistani. People like Sarfraz and Inzamam and Shahid Afridi were clearly not as at ease as Wasim Khan and Azhar Ali are in England.
(Ironically Salman Butt was also a touring skipper who "fitted in", and until the fixing debacle he was well-received in England too, but that was only 4 years after Oval-gate, and the combination of Inzamam's behaviour in 2006 and Salman and Ijaz Butt's in 2010 had made Pakistan into deeply unwelcome guests. Not any more!)
And Wasim Khan has ensured that the British cricket-watching public has gleaned an understanding of Pakistan cricket that it has for no other Asian country. The lunch break documentary series about Pakistan coming out of exile was superb, and Wasim Khan and Imran Khan and Ehsan Mani deserve enormous credit for their participation.
Pakistan has slightly underachieved on the field - they should have won the First Test and therefore would have finished with 40 World Test Championship points more than England. But compared with India, who lost their last two series in England 4-1 and 3-1, the difference in competitiveness was vast.
But like the West Indies’ legendary 1960-61 tour of Australia, this touring team which lost narrowly has actually been the most important one of all.
Sometimes even in defeat there can be victories. This is one such time, when a marginalised nation won over a Big Three member and gave itself the chance of a new status in cricket.
Wasim Khan, Misbah and Azhar Ali are not my cup of tea, but all three deserve our appreciation at this time.
