Misbah has no plan for Test retirement

0
126

Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said that he had set no deadline for retiring from the longer format and would review his future after the series against England in the United Arab Emirates.

Misbah, 41, who has represented Pakistan in 58 Tests and 162 one-day internationals captaining in both formats since late 2010, had earlier said that he would like to retire on a high after playing the planned series against India in December this year.

“I have made no plans at this time but I will review my future and what I should do after the series against England,” Misbah said. “It is a challenge to lead the Pakistani team and the players have really done well as a unit which is why despite not playing at home since 2009 we have achieved some notable success,” he said. “The series against England will be a challenging one even though we play on pitches to which we are used to playing,” he added.

The last time Pakistan and England played in the UAE, Misbah led his team to a memorable 3-0 victory, spearheaded by bowling exploits of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman. “I don’t think the results of 2012 will matter now as England have new players and have recently won the Ashes as well,” he said.

Misbah noted that Pakistan had done extremely well in Test matches and put this down to consistency in performances by the players. He said that the Test century he scored against Australia last year to equal a world record was his most memorable knock and he still enjoyed reliving it. He has led his team to 18 wins from 39 Test matches, the most number of victories under any Pakistan captain.