Pakistan’s most successful ever Test captain will hang up his boots after the third and final Test against West Indies beginning May 10 after Misbah-ul-Haq confirmed the end of his international career on Thursday.
Speaking to media at a press conference in Lahore, Misbah spoke of a regret at not having captained Pakistan in cricket, his entire tenure serving during their international exile.
“One regret is that I never captained the Test team in Pakistan and also not captaining against India,” said Misbah before stating that he will continue to play domestic cricket for “as long as I’m enjoying it”.
“I’ll play domestic cricket as long as I’m enjoying it. I haven’t made up my mind on my immediate future after cricket,” he added.
“[My] favourite moment was winning the Lord’s and Oval Tests, including the hundred I made at Lord’s.”
The 42-year-old, named as one of Widen’s Five Cricketers of the Year for 2016 on Wednesday, has been contemplating retirement since last summer.
Then, Misbah had led Pakistan to world number one in the ICC Test Rankings for the first time in their history with a drawn series in England.
It was seen as the perfect moment for Misbah to bow out from the game but he remained at the helm during chastening defeats in New Zealand and then Australia over the winter.
Many called for Misbah to end his tenure then before he announced at the end of this year’s Pakistan Super League tournament that he would take charge of the side in the Caribbean.
Now, Misbah has confirmed the tour of the West Indies will be his last, just hours after Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan let the cat out of the bag to press.
Regardless of the outcome in the West Indies, Misbah will leave the role as Pakistan’s most successful ever Test captain.
He took over the captaincy in 2010, reshaping the country’s reputation and squad after the spot fixing scandal in England that threatened to tear Pakistan cricket apart.
