It's official. He has the same number of Test wins as Imran Khan. A record Imran held for over 25 years. The most by a Pakistan Captain. A record that he was due to get. Just a matter of time. Have been building up to it with every win as he climbed up the ladder.
It's the one statistic that every captain wants. To be remembered with the most wins by a country captain. No one is saying Imran Khan was not Pakistan's best Captain. But the fact that Misbah has the same number of Test wins as him shows how special a captain he is, as Imran is considered by some as the greatest in the game with regards to captaincy.
If it was ever in doubt, he (Misbah) is the second best Pakistan Captain. No one can be Pakistan's best captain other than Imran. Maiden five Test Match series wins in India and England and drawing against the formidable West Indies will always put him in the lead. What stands out about Misbah getting this feat is a number of factors:
Homeless team
Took over a scandalous team
Had to reverse a string of poor results under previous captains
Not managing the most talented of Pakistan sides
Managing a difficult side, always tough to captain Pakistan
Had to cope with many coach changes
Had to cope with many chairman changes
Had to cope with many selector changes
Had to cope with pressures of replacing Afridi as ODI captain
Had to cope with many unpleasant media agendas
Did it at 36-40 years of age
Hardly any experienced players when he started; Yousuf, Kaneria booted out
His own performance levels while doing it
Distinct lack of quality Pakistan captains before him
Yet has not let any obstacle come his way. Now has the most Test wins by a Pakistan Captain. The Saviour of Pakistan Cricket. A silent guardian.
It's the one statistic I wanted him to get above all else over a number of years. He's got it now.
Most Test Wins by a Country Captain
England = Michael Vaughan
India = MS Dhoni
West Indies = Clive Lloyd
Australia = Ricky Ponting
South Africa = Graeme Smith
New Zealand = Stephen Fleming
Pakistan = Misbah ul Haq
Sri Lanka = Jayawardene
14 Test wins are not that high compared to other countries, but still it's the highest by a Pakistan Captain and that's the fact of the matter. I don't know why eyebrows are being raised about Misbah being called the second best Pakistan Captain for some time now. It's not as if Pakistan have produced dozens of great high profile leaders. This is a team which has historically struggled with leadership, particularly since Imran left the scene. There isn't a great deal to beat in this regard.
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