Cricket Xtra: The dilemma of Misbah

Ajit Vijaykumar 09:58 02/01/2017
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  • Misbah-ul Haq seems keen to retire but circumstances are not allowing him to do so.

    After Pakistan managed to lose the second Test in Melbourne despite rain robbing the game of more than 141 overs, Misbah made it clear he was ‘thinking about’ retirement and that also as soon as the third Test in Sydney which begins tomorrow.

    It is clear that Pakistan rely heavily on the ageing Misbah-ul Haq, 42, and Younis Khan, 39, (pictured) and are not in a position to start planning for life after the two hang up their gloves.

    But what was interesting to see is Misbah himself unable to decide on his future because the veteran feels the team needs him.

    After the defeat in Melbourne, this is what Misbah had to say: “I was thinking about my retirement long ago. “I was thinking that we had possibly Tests lined up against India, so I would play that and that’s it. “But then we had difficult tours like England, New Zealand and Australia (in 2016), I thought that is not right time.

    I’ve been there for last six-seven years, developing this team. I had to face these difficult series. That is why I hung around. Even at that stage my plan was not to play for another twothree years. I have to think about that, haven’t finalised it.”

    In the two Tests against Australia, the veteran batsman had scores of 4, 5, 11 and 0. He has just two fifties in his last 13 innings. Such a run of scores would have elicited a harsh reaction elsewhere, say in England if Alastair Cook had similar numbers, but things in Pakistan are different.

    Misbah is more than just a captain. He single-handedly moulded the team in the aftermath of the 2010 spot fixing scandal that saw the exit of their captain and top order batsman, along with two premier fast bowlers.

    Credibility was at an all-time low and it was up to Misbah to bring discipline and normalcy to their game. For nearly six years, he has done that with incredible success. Very few captains have put so much into their job, because the task itself required an insane level of care and patience.

    It came together perfectly last year when Pakistan, for the first time, became the top ranked Test side in the world. More than an accumulation of points, it was proof of the effort and sacrifices made by the Pakistan team to reach that position.

    Don’t forget, even a senior player like Azhar Ali is yet to play in front of his home crowd. For Misbah, the connect with the team is extremely strong and that is why it is so difficult for him and the team to part ways.

    It wasn’t the case with contemporaries like Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly or Inzamam ul Haq. They were equally influential captains but when the need arose for the team to turn over a new leaf, the stage was set for the team to move forward with or without them.

    Pakistan, on the other hand, are forced to hang on to a player who is well over 40. There is no easy way to ‘break’ this bond.

    While it is true that a team is always bigger than a player or captain, Pakistan’s is a peculiar case and I can understand why it is going to be very difficult to simply cut ties and move on.

    As for now, Misbah will play the Sydney Test and then it’s a long break before the next assignment – West Indies tour in April. There is a chance of him calling it a day after the SCG. But if he scores some runs and the team avoids defeat, there is likely to be a demand for him to stay on just that bit longer.

    It is difficult to say if Pakistan can withstand the departure of Misbah and Younis together. If that happens this year, it would be after some intense deliberations and careful considerations.

    For Pakistan, who don’t have the greatest of records when it comes to handling senior players and captains, this will be another departure from the norm.

    BCCI feels more heat

    Anurag Thakur

    The Indian cricket board just can’t seem to catch a break these days.

    While it is trying its best to save its skin with the Supreme Court of India adamant on enforcing comprehensive structural changes, the BCCI now faces more trouble with the Pakistan board deciding to take legal action for not fulfilling the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2014.

    India have not played two Pakistan ‘home’ series, which was part of the agreement as political tensions between the two countries have escalated over the past two years.

    The Indian board has cited lack of clearance from the government for its inability to play Pakistan in bilateral series. There is no doubt a full series between the two nations would be a money spinner and the Pakistan board has every right to seek compensation.

    But I don’t think the Indian board could have done anything in this regard as India-Pakistan series have, unfortunately, become a political decision. If the BCCI ends up paying a price for not honouring the agreement, it will be another setback of the once mighty board.

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