Misbah-ul-Haq warmed-up for the first Test against West Indies with an undefeated hundred for Pakistan in their tour match against Guyana Monday at Bourda Oval here. The Pakistan captain was undefeated on 101, when his side declared on 330 for seven in their first innings on the opening day of the two-day match.
Guyana — with veteran West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the line-up — reached 25 without loss in reply when bad light stopped play. Misbah struck seven fours and four sixes from 132 balls in just over three hours at the crease, reaching his milestone with a six to prompt the Pakistani declaration.
The 36-year-old Misbah led a solid batting effort from the visitors, which also featured 57 from Azhar Ali, 52 from Mohammad Hafeez, the Man-of-the-Series in the preceding five One-day Internationals, and 40 not out from Umar Gul. Azhar and Hafeez shared an opening stand of 92 before the Pakistanis wobbled to 136 for three.
Misbah added 69 for the fourth wicket with Umar Akmal, but the visitors then slumped to 244 for seven. It took an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 86 between Misbah and Gul to get Pakistan back on the right track. Leg-spinner Amir Khan, a member of the West Indies Under-19 side that recently won a bilateral series with Australia Under-19s in Dubai, was the pick of the Guyana bowlers with three for 88 from 26 overs.
The first Test between West Indies and Pakistan opens on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium. Pakistan are seeking their first Test series victory on Caribbean soil.
Scores:
PAKISTAN: 330 for seven declared (Misbah-ul-Haq 101 not out, Azhar Ali 57, Mohammad Hafeez 52, Umar Gul 40 not out, Umar Akmal 26, Asad Shafiq 21; Amir Khan 3-88, Zaheer Mohammed 2-64)
GUYANA: 25 without loss (Trevon Griffith 20 not out).
