The joy on Misbah-ul-Haq’s face as he broke into the now famous celebration of press-ups when he recently completed his first century at Lord’s was more than an obvious reflection of achieving a fantastic milestone at the Home of Cricket.
What was amazing to note was that a man much maligned for his slow, steady and calculated approach to batting could have inspired such adulation from millions of cricket fans watching that moment live on television, or the privileged few present at Lord’s. Misbah’s name carved out on the honours board at the Home of Cricket was yet another step towards confirmation of the batsman’s importance to Pakistan cricket, with more to follow by the end of the Test series against England.
The sad reality is that in today’s world, Test cricket is fast becoming largely irrelevant to a global audience brought up on cheap thrills supplied by an unlimited amount of fast-paced games played in coloured clothing. The grim fact is that up until the summer of 2016, to many, the most memorable innings from Misbah-ul-Haq would have been in a losing cause during the 2007 World Twenty20 final against India in South Africa or the semi-final against the same opposition in the World Cup of 2011.
Constantly raising the bar for commitment in terms of fitness and consistently scoring runs in Test cricket, Misbah at the age of 42 continues to inspire his teammates by playing match changing innings as he did at Lord’s, or the one when he bludgeoned his way to equal the record for the fastest Test century which he achieved against Australia in Abu Dhabi.
However, apart from runs scored to save his team from disaster, there is a far more important but intangible aspect of Misbah’s presence for the Pakistan team. Whilst the statisticians may not readily appreciate this quality, it is left to seasoned cricket analysts to point out what Misbah means to the Pakistan Test team. In recent remarks on the Pakistan captain’s role, Nasser Hussain likened him to “a father-figure” and spoke about how the players trusted him and were buying into his ideas to deliver the best for the team and the country.
But the Misbah success story did not start with the tour of England in 2016. It began the day he took over the team captaincy in the aftermath of a near existential crisis which hit Pakistan cricket. This was the summer of 2010, when the actions of the trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir threw Pakistan cricket into chaos. Had it not been for Misbah’s calm leadership, the downward spiral would have continued for a very long period of time.
Unperturbed by the challenges faced since that dark period, Misbah has continued to toil away with the results of his many years of endeavour plain to see with Pakistan crowned as the ICC’s top ranked team. Being amongst the top three teams would have been achievement enough but attaining the number one position is nothing short of a feat of gargantuan proportions, especially when one considers that the team has not played a single Test match at home since March 2009 when the visiting Sri Lanka team was the subject of a terrorist attack in Lahore.
It would have been easy for him under such circumstances to walk away, citing any number of reasons including his own age, but Misbah with his single-minded determination to achieve greatness for his country has ably lead a team of mainly young players through nineteen series away from home. During this period, there has been no shortage of criticism of a very personal nature from experts of all descriptions but by using his own performances and calm demeanour to absorb any negativity about his team or himself, he has ensured that neither he nor his team lost focus of the goal of restoring the Pakistan side to its previous greatness.
In stark contrast to the touring teams from Pakistan of yesteryear which were prone to all forms of controversies leading to extreme embarrassment for the country, the hallmark of Misbah’s reign has been a controversy-free period where Pakistan players have thrived and emerged as world beaters.
Relive what it means for @captainmisbahpk and @Shah64y to make it on @HomeOfCricket's honor boards #DunyaKoBataaDohttps://t.co/7tw27AuGjC
— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) August 22, 2016
For this feat alone, Misbah deserves unreserved accolades and it is this reason that a mere hint by the veteran about leaving the team to rest his tired shoulders caused ripples of concerns amongst followers and administration alike resulting in clarifications and reassurances by the much respected Test captain that he would most likely be around to guide his team during the upcoming tours of New Zealand and Australia.
Due to his unwavering commitment to Pakistan cricket and its image, Misbah has been likened to the great Imran Khan and just like the captain who lead his team to victory in the 1992 World Cup, Misbah has had the honour to be at the helm when his team has been crowned as the top Test team in the world. And whilst Pakistan’s stay at the top may well be short-lived due to the vagaries of the ranking system, it is clear that his determination to lead his team towards more glory shows no sign of diminishing.
He continues to guide his players with the same fervour as before and his fitness is an example to many younger stars in the team. There is a legacy of excellence in his performances as a player and as a captain which any mortal will struggle hard to maintain or imitate. Whether he decides to hang up his boots after the England series is moot but what can never be doubted is that Misbah will continue to give his best until he plays his last innings for Pakistan.
Respected by pundits, fans and fellow cricketers around the world, Misbah’s name will go down in Pakistan cricketing history as the man who took the Pakistan Test team from rock bottom to the top of the world.
