The 42-year-old’s role as Pakistan captain and long-term future is under scrutiny following his team’s 3-0 Test series defeat at the hands of Australia – which also coincided with a poor run with the bat.
Misbah, who has played 72 Test matches for his country and averages 45.84, has been criticized in the wake of that Sydney loss by former stars Ramiz Raja and Wasim Akram.
Is it time for Misbah to call it a day?
Let us know your thoughts as our two writers debate his future.
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Barny Read, Online Deputy Editor SAYS YES
Misbah-ul-Haq’s record during Pakistan’s exile and the manner in which he has galvanised a country’s team and led them to the Promised Land from the brink mean he is entitled to decide his own fate. That is a given, that should be sacrosanct.
Equally, Misbah should know that the time is right to step aside.
As a staunch supporter of Misbah and someone in awe of the miraculous job he has done as Pakistan captain, it pains me to write this.
He has gone above and beyond the call of duty but after a chastening winter that started with complacent victory over West Indies to being woefully under prepared in New Zealand and battered by a sub-par Australia side, Misbah needs to make way.
The past six years of his reign have seen Misbah put his country first and once again he needs to do so by bowing out and allowing the team to undergo the revolution it has put off for so long.
A fresh face is needed at the helm and in Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed, they have two candidates willing and able to take the team forward and embrace the modern game.
Sarfraz, in particular, should be looked at as the contrasting figure this team needs to undergo the major facelift it needs, while Azhar is possibly the steadier hand albeit more divisive.
Misbah, who has defied the odds to even reach this stage in his career, looked every bit the 42-year-old elder statesman in Australia.
He cut a tired, at times fed-up figure, not quite able to understand what was going on around him or how to arrest the opposition’s charge.
Pair this with his largely self inflicted barren run with the bat and anyone without Misbah’s remarkable record would’ve been immediately axed after Australia.
This has not been the case for Misbah throughout his tenure, a man so often the epitome of cool as others lost it and nearly always able to bring the game under his spell either as batsman or captain.
It was Winnie the Pooh that said: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
He was on to something.
Joy Chakravarty, Regional Editor SAYS NO
It wasn’t too long ago that Misbah-ul Haq was being hailed as one of the greatest things to have ever happened to Pakistan cricket. Against all odds, Captain Fantastic had guided his team to No1 position in Test rankings with one forceful performance after another.
It just shows the fickle-mindedness of fans and experts that two months and defeat in two short series later, everyone is baying for his blood.
Obviously, to lose five successive Test matches is not good, but in defence of Misbah, tours of New Zealand and Australia have historically been harsh on sub-continent teams.
And even though it was a clean-sweep of 3-0 for Australia, Pakistan could have easily drawn the series 1-1.
They showed immense heart and character in that stirring fightback in the day-night Test at Brisbane, eventually losing by 39 runs chasing a world-record 490 to win.
Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test match was lost because of a horrendous batting collapse on the fifth day.
As for New Zealand, Misbah did not even play the second Test as he had to leave for Pakistan following the death of his father-in-law.
The only real argument that goes against Misbah is that he did not perform with the bat. For one of the main batsman in the side, 120 runs in eight innings with a highest of 38 is not good enough.
But the best batsmen in the world have had series where they have struggled. Hashim Amla is going through that phase and Virat Kohli was a shadow of himself in England a few summers ago. However, Misbah did bat very well in England when Pakistan stunned the hosts by drawing the series 2-2.
Another argument that goes against Misbah is that he is 42…too old. But wasn’t that supposed to be his biggest strength? His calm demeanor and vast experience has held this Pakistan side together through the tough times.
Age should become relevant only if Misbah’s fitness is not up to the mark. However, most of his teammates agree that the captain is one of the fittest members of the squad.
I think Pakistan need Misbah for some more time, mostly because his possible replacements are not of the same class and temperament.
