Pakistan Test skipper Misbahul Haq has been signed by Bangladesh Premier League outfit Rangpur to play in the third edition of the T20 league competition.
“I have signed with BPL,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo.
“I want to carry on and keep myself motivated and maintain my fitness. So whatever cricket comes in I want to play to avoid being complacent.”
Misbah joins 16 other compatriots including the likes of Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Umer Akmal and Mohammed Amir who have already signed up with their respective BPL sides.
Bangladesh’s premier T20 league competition kicks off November 22.
The 41-year-old Misbah recently led Pakistan to a 2-0 Test series win over England in the UAE, taking Pakistan to second in the ICC Test Rankings.
He had hinted at retirement after the series but the PCB pushed him to delay those plans.
Misbah has not featured in international T20 cricket since he left Pakistan’s captaincy in the format in 2012, but he has been a regular participant in domestic T20s and foreign leagues.
Misbah’s next Pakistan assignment would be a tour of England in July 2016.
The remaining Pakistan Test specialists will play ample limited-overs cricket, including the Asia Cup and the World T20 next year, but Misbah who has retired from both the shorter formats, is hoping to keep himself in shape by playing the Quaid-E-Azam trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, and later the BPL.
Pakistan’s domestic season will wrap up in February next year. The first Test match against England is at Lord’s in July, four months later. Therefore Misbah is eager to sign with an English county to find form when it is required the most.
“I love the game and want to play it,” Misbah had said after the England Test series.
“It’s really difficult when you have not played any competitive cricket for six, seven, eight months and suddenly you come and play against top players. So this is a period you need to motivate yourself.”
