Pakistan’s Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq will play his last international match against the West Indies on May 10. As Misbah steps into the sunset, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan has paid the skipper the compliment to beat all compliments.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination on Thursday, the PCB chief said Misbah was a better captain than Imran Khan.
When asked by a reporter after appearing before the committee, Shahryar said he was making the comparison on the basis of cricket and statistics and not politics.
“I said this on the basis of cricket. I have no political affiliation. I respect him as a player. I am not in politics. This is on the basis of statistics,” he said.
Imran Khan, regarded as one of the best-ever cricketers from Pakistan, led country to 14 Test victories in the 48 matches that he captained the national side from 1982 to 1992. His team lost a total of 8 matches and drew 26 games during his career as captain.
Misbah, who took over the captaincy of the side in 2010, led the side in a total of 55 Test matches, winning 25, losing 18, and drawing 11 matches.
PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan also spoke of Sir Vivian Richards on Thursday, calling the West Indian a great cricketer but not a good coach. Shahryar Khan declined to make any comments on Javed Miandad, only stating that the former captain was a great player.
Informing the committee on the status of cricket between India and Pakistan, Shahryar Khan said a notice amounting to $60.4 million had been sent to the BCCI.
On Wednesday, the PCB initiated formal dispute resolution proceedings against the BCCI to claim compensation and damages it suffered due to BCCI’s refusal to play bilateral series with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2014 under which they were due to play six series – four to be hosted by Pakistan – between 2015 and 2023.
But New Delhi denied clearance for the series following strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Under the agreement India were due to take on Pakistan in November-December 2015, but they refused to play in the neutral venues of United Arab Emirates or Sri Lanka.
Pakistan is due to tour India in November-December of this year but that is also highly unlikely as New Delhi continues a boycott of bilateral series.
Pakistan did tour India for a short limited-over series in December 2012 but the arch-rivals have not played a full bilateral series since 2007.
