Aamir Sohail is a feisty and competitive character and had a successful career as an opening batsmen and useful slow left arm orthodox bowler. Sohail formed a stylish and successful opening partnership with Saeed Anwar which dominated many attacks. Sohail captained Pakistan to the Sahara Cup title in Canada in 1996 and 1998 against their arch rivals and also led them to a test win in South Africa under his captaincy. Sohail completed his studies at university level as an economics graduate. Sohail was Pakistan’s 2nd leading run scorer in their triumphant 1992 World Cup with a century and 2 50s as he was a member of Imran’s cornered tigers that played a fearless brand of cricket to conquer the world down under in the 1992 season. As a commentator and broadcaster Sohail has appeared in many TV channels and commentary teams over the last decade since finishing his career as a pundit and expert. Whilst not everyone likes him and he has his large share of critics, Sohail is a commentator who speaks his heart and voices his opinions openly without worrying about the implications of his views and how they could affect the public’s opinion on him, especially in terms of popularity. Sohail’s commentary is detailed and the technical jargon he applies goes to show a man who knows his knowledge and tactical know how, a man who analyses and watches the game in depth and really applying all the knowledge and experience he had picked up in his playing days to behind the mic with a deep voice and wise choice of words. His passion is evident and Sohail comes across as someone who is a no nonsense and fully serious commentator who holds strong and firm views which he is willing to justify rather than siding with anyone. Sohail was a patriotic servant for his country and was a man of integrity and dignity who blew the whistle against the shady characters in the team by exposing them in the 1990s. I was pleased to see him part of the commentary team for the Pak-Eng series in the UAE.
Showing posts with label PAKISTANENGLAND2012TESTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PAKISTANENGLAND2012TESTS. Show all posts
Monday, 22 April 2013
Sohail - Best Pakistan commentator? Author: Maaz; Views: 615; Date: 4-02-2012, 12:13;
Sohail is a commentator who speaks his heart and voices his opinions openly without worrying about the implications of his views and how they could affect the public’s opinion on him, especially in terms of popularity. Sohail’s commentary is detailed and the technical jargon he applies goes to show a man who knows his knowledge and tactical know how, a man who analyses and watches the game in depth and really applying all the knowledge and experience he had picked up in his playing days to behind the mic with a deep voice and wise choice of words.
When a Team Dominates a test Series, things like this are Bound to Happen Author: Maaz; Views: 646; Date: 14-02-2012, 04:39;
1st ODI reaction
No Need to press the Panic Button
An observation
Just going by memory here:-
West Indies lost 4-0 during a test series in England in 2004 and won the Champions Trophy which
followed
Pakistan beat India in a test series in 2006 1-0 and then lost the ODIs 4-1
England were whitewashed 5-0 in the 2006/07 Ashes series and went on to win the triangular series which followed
England won the 2009 Ashes series at home 2-1 and lost 5-1 in the ODIs which followed
England won the 2010/11 Ashes series down under 3-1 and lost 6-1 in the ODIs which followed
South Africa won a test series in England in 2008 and lost 4 ODIs which followed
Personally, I think there is bound to be complacency once you have won a high profile test series and it’s easy to take the foot off the gas and begin to take the opposition for granted once the major format is done with, especially when you win the series in such dominating style. Perhaps the ICC should start to schedule tours more with T20s and ODIs at the beginning rather than at the back end of the tour as a leading up process to the test series almost as a first look at the opposition. It can be seen as preparation for the series which really counts.
West Indies lost 4-0 during a test series in England in 2004 and won the Champions Trophy which
followed
Pakistan beat India in a test series in 2006 1-0 and then lost the ODIs 4-1
England were whitewashed 5-0 in the 2006/07 Ashes series and went on to win the triangular series which followed
England won the 2009 Ashes series at home 2-1 and lost 5-1 in the ODIs which followed
England won the 2010/11 Ashes series down under 3-1 and lost 6-1 in the ODIs which followed
South Africa won a test series in England in 2008 and lost 4 ODIs which followed
Personally, I think there is bound to be complacency once you have won a high profile test series and it’s easy to take the foot off the gas and begin to take the opposition for granted once the major format is done with, especially when you win the series in such dominating style. Perhaps the ICC should start to schedule tours more with T20s and ODIs at the beginning rather than at the back end of the tour as a leading up process to the test series almost as a first look at the opposition. It can be seen as preparation for the series which really counts.
Pakistan vs England Test Series Review - The Seamers Author: Maaz; Views: 303; Date: 12-02-2012, 11:05;
Umar Gul 7/10 - Two fine spells in the series, in the 3rd innings of the 1st test and in the fourth innings of the final test where Gul bagged 4 wickets to bowl Pakistan to victory on the same day. Had Gul not overstepped the front line during the 3rd day of the opening test the spearhead of the attack would have claimed a welldeserved 5 wicket haul. Gul's role was limited in Abu Dhabi where 19 of the 20wickets fell to spin, but his pace managed to trap Bell in front with the 2nd new ball when Bell was looking it nice touch in that innings, managed to club a ball out of the mark to extend the lead and also held on to the winning catch of a historic win at deep square leg. Gul did the bulk of the work in the fast bowling department in tough conditions for pacers and delivered when needed as the senior bowler in the ranks.
Junaid Khan / Aizaz Cheema - Limited bowling for both of them so I won't be grading them. Junaid bagged a pair and dropped a sitter in Abu Dhabi and disappointed when he came in to replace at the time injured Aizaz Cheema. Cheema only conceded 70 runs in 4 innings of bowling which is a reflection of how little he was used and needed by Misbah. Cheema went Not Out in all his 3 innings.
Pakistan vs England Test Series - Spinners Review Author: Maaz; Views: 536; Date: 12-02-2012, 10:41;
The chief destroyersAbdur Rehman 9/10 - 19 wickets in 3 tests for the slow left arm spinner with his canny darts and smart changes of pace and trajectory. However, he really struggled in the batting department against the off breaks of Graeme Swann who dismissed him 4 times out of 5, but he bowled extremely well that the batting utility can be overlooked. Rehman was the 2nd joint leading wicket taker in the series. When the two have bowled together in the same line up Pakistan have taken 20 wickets 9 times in 10 tests and formed a destructive partnership with their guile and accuracy. With 75 wickets in exactly 15 tests Rehman is on track to be one of the quickest to the feat of 100 wickets as the Sialkot Stallion has not only controlled the run flow, but been amongst the wickets consistently.
Saeed Ajmal 10/10 - No brainer with regards to the mark. Perfection and rightly so. Where do we start? Saeed was phenomenal and claimed 40% of Pakistan's wickets in the series. Ian Bell was indeed his bunny as Ajmal saw the back of him on 4 occasions in this series as the off spinner spun webs around him. Saeed claimed 50% of his wickets LBW which gives a clear indication of how accurate he was bowling which enabled him to attack the stumps and bring DRS into play.
The flat pace he bowled never allowed batsmen to get to him which enabled him to bowl to a plan and work over a batsmen by getting the chance to bowl many balls at him. His economy rate is a reflection of how difficult it was to rotate the strike against him with many batsmen getting stuck at one end. His action was always going to be a talking point if he performed so let's leave that one out. I think former England captain Nasser Hussain summed him up well :"The gem in that bowling attack, Saeed Ajmal can end up as one of the genuine greats of the game. Arguably the best cricketer in the world at the moment. The lad is an absolute gem both on and off the field. He is the smiling assassin like Murali."
Ajmal during the series became not only the quickest Pakistani to reach the landmark of 100 test scalps, but also the quickest spinner to get there ever. In the last 3 major test series Pakistan have contested against West Indies, Sri Lanka and England, Ajmal has concluded the series as the leading wicket taker and MOTS. He was not off colour against them by any means, but his effectiveness was less against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh where Hafeez and Younis Khan received MOTS respectively.
Pakistan - England Test Series | Numbers 4-7 Reviewed Author: Maaz; Views: 472; Date: 12-02-2012, 07:35;
Younis Khan 7/10 - Younis was short of runs in this series for the most part, but in his final innings hedemonstrated his class and calibre to become the 1st batsmen of the series to reach 3 figures. It was an exhibition of efficient technique to eliminate DRS, aggressive running between the wickets, manoeuvring the ball into the gaps, making it count once he was set, guiding Azhar Ali, accelerating and stamping his authority on the English attack. It was a masterpiece of an innings and England can and would have taken plenty of lessons from it, particularly on how to handle spin and overcome being paranoid as a result of DRS. It was Younis's 20th century in his glittering high achieving test career. The series couldn't go through without a Younis century and we finally got it. Younis would be the first to admit that he didn't have the best of times in this series, but he made up for it and it was only a matter of time before he delivered.
MUH - 8/10 - We saw two crucial dogged, sturdy, determined test match innings in his first 2 innings of the series in the first 4 days of the series. Alongside Azhar Ali, MUH was the only batsmen to reach above 50 twice in the series as he continued his sensationally consistent batting record as captain. All 5 times MUH was dismissed LBW and 4 times he reviewed unsuccessfully. MUH also put on a 50+ stand for the 4th wicket with Azhar Ali on the penultimate day of the series as the solid and dependable middle order batsmen killed time with tight defence and powers of patience allowing the pitch to deteriorate further. Surprisingly no catches came his way. MUH has now featured in 99 wins in a Pakistan shirt and will want to get to the 100th one in the 1st ODI at Abu Dhabi on Monday. MUH deserves the plaudits for captaining his side to their first whitewash outside home. Throughout the tour he extracted the best from his players and guided the likes of Adnan and Shafiq a great deal. Also, he ensured the team did not get in hot water and kept everything in check with his respectable stature and stabilising presence which has been a rarity in previous Pakistan - England contests.
Asad Shafiq 8/10 - Most catches by a non wicket keeper in the series as Shafiq held on to 6 of them which came his way. Shafiq continued to show why he was preferred ahead of the exciting and exuberant Umar Akmal with some vital knocks throughout the series, particularly in the Abu Dhabi test match and the first innings of the final test in Dubai where he top scored and allowed Pakistan to reach respectability when they were disastrously placed at 21/5 at one stage as the elegant stroke maker reached the 40s before being a victim of Monty's arm ball.
Adnan Akmal 6/10 - One half century in the opening test and he was even a contender for the player of the match award with 7 catches and a vital half century to provide Pakistan with an important lead. It's never easy to keeping to the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Adnan was reasonably sound in the keeping department with the odd slight error. Adnan Akmal has played 13 tests for Pakistan and Pakistan have never lost any of thosewith 8 wins along the way. He's clearly a lucky charm for the team with his excitable appealing, tidy glove work and entertaining batting. He's got areas to work on, but this whitewash is an experience he shall never forget as he was part of it by keeping the energy levels high behind the stumps.
30 Predictions and Wants vs England Reviewed Author: Maaz; Views: 474; Date: 11-02-2012, 08:59;
1) Undefeated in all 3 series formats, winning 2 of them.
1 down 2 to go
2) Same top 6 to be played in all 3 tests.
Achieved – continuity and stability in selection has been a feature of MUHs captaincy. It has been backed with
consistency in on field performance and off field conduct
3) Graeme Swann to have a SR of above 100 whereas Ajmal has one below 80. Swann to have an average nearing 40 whereas Ajmal to have one below 32. Ajmal to have 5 more wickets than Swann and out bowl him in terms of average and SR as well as the overall wicket tally.
Ajmal had 24 scalps in 3 tests – 6 innings
Swann had 13 scalps in 3 tests – 5 innings
4) Win at least 5 of the 10 internationals and lose only a maximum of 3.
Already won 3 now just need 2/7 more to achieve that
5) All the Pakistan batsmen from 3-5 to have an average in excess 45 from Pakistan during the course of the test series.
Azhar Ali achieved an average of above 50.
Younis and MUH had averages in the high 30s.
However, none of the opposition even had averages in the 30s!
6) Azhar Ali to face 750 deliveries in the 3 match test series and set the benchmark, preferably even spend more deliveries at the crease than Trott.
727 in 5 innings out of a potential 6 this was the highest BF quantity in the 3 match series
7) Misbah to face 450 deliveries in the 3 match test series in the 1st innings alone.
MUH got in the 300s with 2 dogged first innings half centuries in the first 2 innings he had
8) 3 centuries from Pakistan’s batsmen.
We had 2 centuries in the series and both came from the hosts in Younis Khan and Azhar Ali who made 127 and 157 in the 3rd innings of the 3rd test
9) Azhar Ali averaging higher than Trott
Azhar almost doubled Trott’s average and outperformed him at #3
10) Misbah averaging higher than Strauss and taking more catches than Strauss.
Misbah clearly won the battle of the captains in batting, but he didn’t get any catches coming his way during the series which is somewhat of a surprise
11) Having at least 4 Pakistan batsmen averaging in the best 7 from the 3 match test series.
They had 5 in the top 7 from their top 6 with Taufeeq missing out
12) A Pakistani batsman to play a 300 ball innings.
Azhar Ali’s 442 ball vigil in Dubai for the 3rd test 3rd innings
13) Hafeez going at under 3 and taking 4 wickets during the test series.
Hafeez claimed 5 wickets and went at under 3 RPO
14) Rehman going at under 3 and taking 9 in the tests.
Rehman went at well under 3 with 19 in the series
15) Leading overall tour wicket taker to be a Pakistani.
16) 3 Pakistanis in the top 5 test series leading wicket takers.
The top 2 leading wicket takers were Ajmal and Rehman in the series, but Gul was the 6th leading wicket taker in the series and just missed out on the top 6 – nevertheless Ajmal and Rehman were both ahead by a long way and had 5 higher than the next best
17) Gul and Ajmal to have at least 25 wickets combined in the test series at an average of under 33 and an economy of well below 3.
They had 35 between them out of the 60 wickets which fell
18) To post at least 330 in all first innings and ensure the innings duration lasts longer than 130 over mark and even take that to above 155 and overall total of above 450 once in the test series.
338 | 257 | 99
19) 2 50s from the Pakistan openers as a bare minimum individually in the series combined and post above 50 for the 1st wicket the same amount of times as a minimum expectation.
We saw 2 50+ stands during the first 3 innings including a century stand Both Hafeez and Taufeeq registered one half century
20) Misbah to score 4 50s and a valuable 35+ including an unbeaten one in the 10 internationals and average higher than Cook as well in the one day internationals. Not allowing Cook to pass more than 50 twice in the 4 ODIs whereas Misbah gets at least one if not two. Overall Misbah should be targeting above 500 runs aggregate in this tour in all 3 formats combined at an average in the 40s or higher.
7 LOIs to go
21) Avoid any controversies on Pakistan’s side.
Ajmal’s interview and bowling action was a talking point, but nothing major compared to what we have been used to for Pak – Eng series in the past
22) Only lose 1 wicket or less per session on 8 occasions which will be a sign of the batting continuing to click and the team’s hopes to be on track.
We did it 4 times
Azhar and Shafiq - test 2 | day 3 | 3rd session (1 lost)
Azhar and Younis – test 3 | day 2 | 2nd session (none lost)
Azhar and Younis – test 3 | Day 2 | 3rd session (none lost)
Azhar and MUH – test 3 | Day 3 | 1st session (1 lost)
Opposition did it once
Cook and Trott – test 2 | day 2 | 2nd session (none lost)
23) Younis and Misbah to pile on over 100 for the 4th wicket if and when they get together in the tests or if not for the 3rd wicket in ODIs.
ODIs to follow where they will inevitably be at the crease at the same time at some point with time on their hands
24) Highest tour runs scorer and catcher to also be a Pakistani in all 3 formats combined.
On track
25) To bat more overs than England during the first innings in at least 2 tests and also win the first innings as a result 2 times. Overall to bat for at least 35-40 overs more than England in the first innings and show a level of endurance and resilient batting durability.
1st test – Pak had a lead of 146
2nd test – Eng had a lead of 70
3rd test – Eng had a lead of 42
26) Winning an ODI by 60 runs or 6 wickets. A really comprehensive show along the way.
Will happen for sure
27) 2 Pakistani MOMs in the test series and the MOTS to also be a Pakistani.
1st test – Saeed Ajmal DUBAI
2nd test – Abdur Rehman ABU DHBAI
3rd test – Azhar Ali DUBAI
MOTS – Saeed Ajmal
28) Ensure we do not go 1-0 down in either test or ODI or even T20s and overcome series LOI decider choking
tag should the series go down to the wire which surely will happen in either the T20s or ODIs with it being a 4 match and 3 match series respectively.
Did not happen in the tests as the Greens went 1-0 up
29) A half century and a 40+ from numbers 7-11 in the test series. Lower order needs to show some depth and all roundedness.
Adnan Akmal notched up a vital half century in his 1st innings of the series so we saw a half century from numbers 7-11
30) A Pakistan bowler to take double figured ODI series wickets and really dominates proceedings and show why they are ranked so highly. Hafeez and Ajmal to take 12 between them in the 4 ODIs or more at an economy of under 4.5 and average of below 25.
31) Most productive tour partnerships to be Pakistanis in the test series. 3 in the top 5 aggregate if not better. Pakistan to continue their success in knitting together long, reliable, frustrating, composed and tiring partnerships even if the tempo is circumspect and old fashioned if you like during the process.
Highest was between Azhar and Younis in Dubai for the 3rd test 3rd innings for a 3rd wicket stand of over 200
32) Ajmal to take at least 15 wickets in the 3 tests.
66% higher than that
33) Overall the batsmen from 3-6 battling it out for overall 2100 deliveries combined or more in the test series and all spending valuable time in the middle.
11) Having at least 4 Pakistan batsmen averaging in the best 7 from the 3 match test series.
They had 5 in the top 7 from their top 6 with Taufeeq missing out
12) A Pakistani batsman to play a 300 ball innings.
Azhar Ali’s 442 ball vigil in Dubai for the 3rd test 3rd innings
13) Hafeez going at under 3 and taking 4 wickets during the test series.
Hafeez claimed 5 wickets and went at under 3 RPO
14) Rehman going at under 3 and taking 9 in the tests.
Rehman went at well under 3 with 19 in the series
15) Leading overall tour wicket taker to be a Pakistani.
16) 3 Pakistanis in the top 5 test series leading wicket takers.
The top 2 leading wicket takers were Ajmal and Rehman in the series, but Gul was the 6th leading wicket taker in the series and just missed out on the top 6 – nevertheless Ajmal and Rehman were both ahead by a long way and had 5 higher than the next best
17) Gul and Ajmal to have at least 25 wickets combined in the test series at an average of under 33 and an economy of well below 3.
They had 35 between them out of the 60 wickets which fell
18) To post at least 330 in all first innings and ensure the innings duration lasts longer than 130 over mark and even take that to above 155 and overall total of above 450 once in the test series.
338 | 257 | 99
19) 2 50s from the Pakistan openers as a bare minimum individually in the series combined and post above 50 for the 1st wicket the same amount of times as a minimum expectation.
We saw 2 50+ stands during the first 3 innings including a century stand Both Hafeez and Taufeeq registered one half century
20) Misbah to score 4 50s and a valuable 35+ including an unbeaten one in the 10 internationals and average higher than Cook as well in the one day internationals. Not allowing Cook to pass more than 50 twice in the 4 ODIs whereas Misbah gets at least one if not two. Overall Misbah should be targeting above 500 runs aggregate in this tour in all 3 formats combined at an average in the 40s or higher.
7 LOIs to go
21) Avoid any controversies on Pakistan’s side.
Ajmal’s interview and bowling action was a talking point, but nothing major compared to what we have been used to for Pak – Eng series in the past
22) Only lose 1 wicket or less per session on 8 occasions which will be a sign of the batting continuing to click and the team’s hopes to be on track.
We did it 4 times
Azhar and Shafiq - test 2 | day 3 | 3rd session (1 lost)
Azhar and Younis – test 3 | day 2 | 2nd session (none lost)
Azhar and Younis – test 3 | Day 2 | 3rd session (none lost)
Azhar and MUH – test 3 | Day 3 | 1st session (1 lost)
Opposition did it once
Cook and Trott – test 2 | day 2 | 2nd session (none lost)
23) Younis and Misbah to pile on over 100 for the 4th wicket if and when they get together in the tests or if not for the 3rd wicket in ODIs.
ODIs to follow where they will inevitably be at the crease at the same time at some point with time on their hands
24) Highest tour runs scorer and catcher to also be a Pakistani in all 3 formats combined.
On track
25) To bat more overs than England during the first innings in at least 2 tests and also win the first innings as a result 2 times. Overall to bat for at least 35-40 overs more than England in the first innings and show a level of endurance and resilient batting durability.
1st test – Pak had a lead of 146
2nd test – Eng had a lead of 70
3rd test – Eng had a lead of 42
26) Winning an ODI by 60 runs or 6 wickets. A really comprehensive show along the way.
Will happen for sure
27) 2 Pakistani MOMs in the test series and the MOTS to also be a Pakistani.
1st test – Saeed Ajmal DUBAI
2nd test – Abdur Rehman ABU DHBAI
3rd test – Azhar Ali DUBAI
MOTS – Saeed Ajmal
28) Ensure we do not go 1-0 down in either test or ODI or even T20s and overcome series LOI decider choking
tag should the series go down to the wire which surely will happen in either the T20s or ODIs with it being a 4 match and 3 match series respectively.
Did not happen in the tests as the Greens went 1-0 up
29) A half century and a 40+ from numbers 7-11 in the test series. Lower order needs to show some depth and all roundedness.
Adnan Akmal notched up a vital half century in his 1st innings of the series so we saw a half century from numbers 7-11
30) A Pakistan bowler to take double figured ODI series wickets and really dominates proceedings and show why they are ranked so highly. Hafeez and Ajmal to take 12 between them in the 4 ODIs or more at an economy of under 4.5 and average of below 25.
31) Most productive tour partnerships to be Pakistanis in the test series. 3 in the top 5 aggregate if not better. Pakistan to continue their success in knitting together long, reliable, frustrating, composed and tiring partnerships even if the tempo is circumspect and old fashioned if you like during the process.
Highest was between Azhar and Younis in Dubai for the 3rd test 3rd innings for a 3rd wicket stand of over 200
32) Ajmal to take at least 15 wickets in the 3 tests.
66% higher than that
33) Overall the batsmen from 3-6 battling it out for overall 2100 deliveries combined or more in the test series and all spending valuable time in the middle.
1900-2000 in one less innings so effectively achieved
33) Overall the batsmen from 3-6 battling it out for overall 2100 deliveries combined or more in the test series and all spending valuable time in the middle.
1900 odd in 5 innings so effectively achieved
34) Remove the last 4 for a maximum of 120 or under consistently during the test series.
35) 3 batsmen from Pakistan to score over 300 in the test series and all batsmen to score at least 150 in the test series. To have 13 scores of 50 or above from Pakistan's batsmen.
No batsmen scored an aggregate of 300 in the series from either side.Barring Taufeeq all batsmen scored 150 or more in the series as an overall aggregate 9 batsmen scored 50 or more.
Top Performers Prediction
PAKISTAN
Youngsters in Tests
Azhar + Junaid
Experienced names in Tests
Younis + Ajmal
Overall Key Batsmen: Younis Khan – the 127 was a masterpiece
Overall Key Bowler: Saeed Ajmal
1900 odd in 5 innings so effectively achieved
34) Remove the last 4 for a maximum of 120 or under consistently during the test series.
35) 3 batsmen from Pakistan to score over 300 in the test series and all batsmen to score at least 150 in the test series. To have 13 scores of 50 or above from Pakistan's batsmen.
No batsmen scored an aggregate of 300 in the series from either side.Barring Taufeeq all batsmen scored 150 or more in the series as an overall aggregate 9 batsmen scored 50 or more.
Top Performers Prediction
PAKISTAN
Youngsters in Tests
Azhar + Junaid
Experienced names in Tests
Younis + Ajmal
Overall Key Batsmen: Younis Khan – the 127 was a masterpiece
Overall Key Bowler: Saeed Ajmal
Overall Key Fielder: Azhar Ali
MOTS: Azhar, Younis, Misbah, Ajmal
Azhar got a MOM
Ajmal got MOTS
ENGLAND
Youngsters in Tests
Cook and Bresnan (now Broad)
Experienced names in Tests: Trott and Swann
Overall Key Batsmen: Trott
Overall Key Bowler: Swann
Overall Key Fielder: Cook
MOTS: Trott, Bell, Swann, Prior
PAKISTAN
Youngsters in ODIs
Umar Akmal + 2nd opener depending on who is selected + Wahab Riaz
Experienced names in ODIs
Misbah + Hafeez + Gul
Overall Key Batsmen: Misbah ul Haq
Overall Key All Rounder: Mohammad Hafeez
Overall Key Bowler: Wahab Riaz
Overall Key Fielder: Younis Khan
MOTS: Mohammad Hafeez
MOTS: Azhar, Younis, Misbah, Ajmal
Azhar got a MOM
Ajmal got MOTS
ENGLAND
Youngsters in Tests
Cook and Bresnan (now Broad)
Experienced names in Tests: Trott and Swann
Overall Key Batsmen: Trott
Overall Key Bowler: Swann
Overall Key Fielder: Cook
MOTS: Trott, Bell, Swann, Prior
PAKISTAN
Youngsters in ODIs
Umar Akmal + 2nd opener depending on who is selected + Wahab Riaz
Experienced names in ODIs
Misbah + Hafeez + Gul
Overall Key Batsmen: Misbah ul Haq
Overall Key All Rounder: Mohammad Hafeez
Overall Key Bowler: Wahab Riaz
Overall Key Fielder: Younis Khan
MOTS: Mohammad Hafeez
ENGLAND
Youngsters in ODIs
Kieswetter and Finn
Experienced
names in ODIs
Trott and KP
Overall Key Batsmen: KP
Overall Key
Bowler: Swann
Overall Key All Rounder: Patel
Overall Key Fielder:
MOTS: KP
PAKISTAN
Youngsters in T20s
Youngsters in ODIs
Kieswetter and Finn
Experienced
names in ODIs
Trott and KP
Overall Key Batsmen: KP
Overall Key
Bowler: Swann
Overall Key All Rounder: Patel
Overall Key Fielder:
MOTS: KP
PAKISTAN
Youngsters in T20s
Umar Akmal & Aizaz Cheema
Experienced names in T20s
Misbah and Afridi
Overall Key Batsmen: The 2nd opener depending on who is selected
Overall Key All Rounder: Mohammad Hafeez
Overall Key Bowler: Saeed Ajmal
Overall Key Fielder: Misbah ul Haq
MOTS: Misbah-ul-Haq/Abdul Razzaq if utilised properly and fit
ENGLAND
Youngsters
Bairstow and Dernbach
Experienced Names
Morgan and Swann
Overall key Batter: Morgan
Overall Key All Rounder: Bopara
Overall Key Bowler: Jade Dernbach
MOTS: Morgan
Most catches: Younis and Misbah
Most runs: Misbah
Most wickets: Ajmal
Pakistan’s 5 most valuable
players
Misbah
Ajmal
Hafeez
Younis
Gul
England’s 5 most
valuable players
Cook
Trott
Swann
Anderson
KP
Outsiders who will shine will be Azhar Ali and Steve Finn:
Azhar Ali – leading run scorer in the test series with 2 vital knocks
Steven Finn – Tremlett was preferred in the 1st test as the 3rd seamer and England went in with 2 finger spinners for the next 2 tests – watch out for him in the ODIs as he was one of the bright spots in England’s ODI tour of India in October
Players who MAY struggle
Cook – 4 out of 6 times failed to get into double figures & apart from that made 94 and 49 when he did get into double figures
Morgan
Broad
Anderson
Taufeeq
Misbah and Afridi
Overall Key Batsmen: The 2nd opener depending on who is selected
Overall Key All Rounder: Mohammad Hafeez
Overall Key Bowler: Saeed Ajmal
Overall Key Fielder: Misbah ul Haq
MOTS: Misbah-ul-Haq/Abdul Razzaq if utilised properly and fit
ENGLAND
Youngsters
Bairstow and Dernbach
Experienced Names
Morgan and Swann
Overall key Batter: Morgan
Overall Key All Rounder: Bopara
Overall Key Bowler: Jade Dernbach
MOTS: Morgan
Most catches: Younis and Misbah
Most runs: Misbah
Most wickets: Ajmal
Pakistan’s 5 most valuable
players
Misbah
Ajmal
Hafeez
Younis
Gul
England’s 5 most
valuable players
Cook
Trott
Swann
Anderson
KP
Outsiders who will shine will be Azhar Ali and Steve Finn:
Azhar Ali – leading run scorer in the test series with 2 vital knocks
Steven Finn – Tremlett was preferred in the 1st test as the 3rd seamer and England went in with 2 finger spinners for the next 2 tests – watch out for him in the ODIs as he was one of the bright spots in England’s ODI tour of India in October
Players who MAY struggle
Cook – 4 out of 6 times failed to get into double figures & apart from that made 94 and 49 when he did get into double figures
Morgan
Broad
Anderson
Taufeeq
Top Order Analysis Author: Maaz; Views: 725; Comments: 12; Date: 9-02-2012, 07:10;
Mohammad Hafeez 6/10 – Mohammad Hafeez scored 1 half century in 5 innings, held on to important catches and had 5 wickets at just an average of 16 including dismissing either Cook or Strauss 3 times early in their innings to break the opening partnership with a relatively new ball each time. 4 times he was trapped LBW in 5 times he was dismissed and the vast majority came against the spinners. Monty got him 3 of the times in the 5 dismissals whereas Swann and Anderson got him LBW one time each.
Taufeeq Umar 5/10 – Taufeeq had a noteworthy test match at Dubai in the 1st test with a half century followed by an unbeaten stay to get the hosts over the line untroubled to take a thumping 10 wicket win. However, Taufeeq was dismissed cheaply in the next 4 innings with Swann getting him in Abu Dhabi bowled both time on the off stump line and Anderson removed him in his first or 2nd over with the new ball both times in the 3rd test with one delivery swinging back and the other shaping across as Taufeeq edged behind. Taufeeq also spilled a regulation catch in the slip cordon of Alastair Cook which could have proved to be costly. Taufeeq did put on 50 or above with Hafeez twice in the series for the opening stand. Taufeeq has now featured in 15 consecutive tests or 7 full series opening the batting with Hafeez, which is the most by any Pakistani opening pair.
Azhar Ali 9/10 – Forget the low scores and trouble caused by Broad as we witnessed 2 vital innings in pressure situations during the course of the series. Azhar piled on an invaluable stand of 88 for the 5th wicket with Shafiq in Abu Dhabi to provide the bowlers with something to bowl at and prevent England from running through the line up on the evening session of the 2nd test day 3 when they had Pakistan 55/4 with the best part of 2 hours left in the day and only the youngsters and tail left, but they managed to survive to stumps without further loss and take the score to 125/4 to keep Pakistan’s hopes alive at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
It was encouraging to see 2 young technically and temperamentally well equipped batters in their mid 20s digging their side out of trouble and demonstrating utmost character and responsibility with their resistant, disciplined, spirited approach. Azhar top scored in the 2nd innings of the 2nd test. In Dubai for the 3rd test Azhar complied a marathon effort for his 158 which he spent approximately 9 hours at the crease. The match was in the balance and if anything England had their noses in front when he walked out to the middle as the Greens looked to cut off the 42 run deficit they had conceded and then going on to losing both their openers whilst they were still trailing behind. Azhar managed to survive and looked solid in defence as he was 1* from 29 as tea closed in. Then, batted 2 full sessions without losing a wicket alongside Younis Khan who was having a stinker of a series up to this point as the Greens concluded day 2 at 222/2 for stumps after England had been shot out for 141 and Pakistan had been bundled out for 99 having won the toss on the opening day. This was a remarkable recovery.
Their stand which was the highest of the series grinded England down mentally and physically and even if the rest of the order collapsed in a heap which they did in the middle session of the 4th day it was always going to be a mountain to climb from their perspective. What stood out about Azhar was how he eliminated DRS out of the equation, fluently tackled the spinners and showed endless persistence and perseverance early in his innings to get set for a long composed determined vigil as the test drifted away from England’s hands the longer he was out there. The KRL batsmen churned, wore, worked over, pro longed the innings duration, earned England’s respect, provided a firm platform for further easier accumulation/consolidation and frustrated the bowling into dust over a longer period in order to reach his career best test score as he negotiated with Swann and Monty securely in the 442 deliveries he spent at the middle which is the longest he has batted as a firm defensive founder, stodgy accumulator, workhorse, traditional blocker and innings holder. The true test virtues of discipline, mental toughness, determination, temperament unflappability, resistance, stamina and technical solidity were on display.
Azhar was the leading run scorer in this tour and the only batsmen from either party to score over 200 runs as he ended on 251 in 5 innings at an average of 50+. This was the highest average of the series in what has been a bowler dominant low scoring series. Azhar made the highest individual score in the series, just like he did for Pakistan on Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010 where we saw that unbeaten 92 in a match winning cause at the Oval.
The classical old school crease occupier also faced the most deliveries in the series with 727. In all 3 series which have been contested in the UAE against the South Africans, Sri Lankans and now England, Azhar has ended the series as the 1st or 2nd in the most runs, balls faced, 50+ scores registered and highest average. Azhar has only lost 1 in 9 series as a player since debuting at Lords in 2010 against the Aussies. Azhar has now entered the top 10 on the ICC batsmen test rankings alongside SRT. The future captain has 13 50s and 2 centuries in 39 test innings with both his centuries coming at the DSC.
In all 4 sessions which Pakistan had on this tour where they only lost 1 wicket or less featured Azhar Ali which is a significant period in the context of the match scenario due to wickets falling quickly in the series and Azhar alongside his partner managed to block the passage, interrupt the pattern of wickets falling quickly, pick the bowling to negotiate with what was being sent down at them and ultimately this led to getting some partnerships rolling.
Pak - Wash Is Not Finished Yet Author: Maaz; Views: 664; Date: 8-02-2012, 13:30;
The 3-0 mission accomplished in the most significant format was monumentally, pleasantly surprising jubilance which no one could have seriously thought about in terms of a series score-line along those lines, but the job is not completed yet by any stretch of the imagination and there is more dominance to follow and many more victories although they won’t quite be as resounding as the test ones, but ODI cricket is Pakistan’s forte which they take equally as seriously. Generally the ODI format in this part of the world has higher viewership, crowd attendances and genuine excitement. Going by how pessimistic some of the England supporters are about their team’s chances in the one day internationals which start next week over winning even a single one day international let alone draw or win the 4 match series, there is almost every chance for Captain Misbah’s Team Pakistan to whitewash the visitors in ALL formats and end up with a 10-0 score line once the whole tour concludes on Monday 27th February in Abu Dhabi.
England have been woeful in sub continental conditions and lost 5-0 in India last year whereas in the World Cup only managed 3 victories in 7 encounters. They are below the men in green on the ICC ODI rankings by some way. Last two ODI series they have played against the men in green away from home have ended in defeats for them. Cook and Broad are inexperienced captains and England is vulnerable to spin on the slow and low wickets.
For the hosts majority of the overs will be bowled by the slower men who control the flow of runs, take wickets and are consistently reliable performers. It’s a squeezing process to overcome for the batsmen and each of the trio of spinners is different which never allows you to settle as a batter. With anything even over 200 on the board batting first and Pakistan will fancy their chances by turning to their spinners under lights, who get through their overs quickly not allowing batsmen to think on their feet, build pressure with dot deliveries, can come on early with the new ball to surprise the top order and with varieties in repertoire can break partnerships and cause panic in the dressing room at any moment. Lastly, they also have the skill, experience and confidence of bowling in the batting power play and can be extremely difficult to get hold of and subsequently trigger collapses courtesy of Saeed Ajmal’s mesmerising mysteries.
The off spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez are ranked at 1 and 2 on the ICC ODI bowling rankings which just shows how impressively they have delivery in ODI colours over the last year whereas the multi talented leg spinner Shahid Afridi was the 2nd leading ODI wicket taker last year with 45 scalps in 27 outings including 4 5 wicket hauls with his canny flattish sharp drifting leg spinners, sliders and top spinners. The talismanic leg spinning all rounder has kept him busy by playing for the Melbourne Renegades down under while the national test team were up against Bangladesh and England and had a decent time of it over there from a personal point of view. How well England can negotiate and tackle these gifted, accurate and unorthodox spinners will be the deciding factor in the brief ODI series. The Men in Green are firm favourites, looking forward to the contests and the tourists will be up against it. We shouldn’t be surprised to see Pakistan win this series 4-0. It will be a challenging ride for Cook’s side and even harder than what they were up against during the test series which they’ll want to put behind them as quick as possible after suffering the humiliation of a clean sweep.
The visitors will be taking on their Lions squad for a warm up fixture on Friday who have just beaten the Sri Lankan A team 3-2 in a 5 match unofficial ODI series whereas Misbah and company they will be heading to Sharjah for a one day international against Afghanistan on the same day where they will be looking to dominate and perhaps experiment.
Only 2 of 8 KP writers had The Asian Side definitely claiming the series in the preview which was published on the 3rd of January titled: “England will be put through a tough Pakistan test” and that too by only a 1 match margin with a 1-0 scoreline. 1 of our writers hesitatingly sat on the fence at 1-0 either way, 2 said 1-1 including myself, 2 said 0-0 whereas one thought England would bag the series 1-0. Few of us expected Pakistan to win the series, compete and draw respectably perhaps yes, but winning it was not what we expected in all honesty. None of us said we would win the series by a 2 match margin, but it turned out to be by a 3 match margin. In the preview I also mentioned that 2 results was pushing it and 3 results was close to impossible, but as it stands the Greens have won all 3 tests with all 3 tests having results. We expected docile tracks, high scoring draws and uneventful action, but it was nothing but fast paced test cricket with wickets falling in clusters and tests continuously progressing forward towards an outcome with every session and none of the 3 tests went into day 5 believe it or not. 110 wickets fell in 11 days with over 3 wickets falling per session.There were several reasons for this:–
a) High quality bowling, both teams bowled exceptionally and it was refreshing to see some top class spin bowling in particular from both of the sides because as Nasser mentioned we had seen some ordinary, average, mediocre spinners for some time in world cricket, but here we had talented finger spinners from both sides and a mystery bowler from Pakistan in the form of Ajmal who injected fear in batsmen and posed some serious questions
b) DRS and batsmen being paranoid as a result of getting struck on the pad with a record number of LBWs falling for a 3 match series in this tour
c) Out of form batsmen who were short of runs and confidence
d) England’s batsmen struggling to adapt to the slow paced nature of scoring rates in this part of the world and lacking patience and application to play long old fashioned dogged test match innings
e) Ajmal’s pre series talk really playing in the minds of England’s batters
f) England’s preparation not being up to scratch while Pakistan were playing the Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis as I incidentally said in my preview for why they had a slight advantage over England coming into this series
g) England Not being able to lift themselves after losing 5 wickets in the opening session of the series of their top 5 batsmen without 60 on the board at the lunch interval with Ajmal bagging 3 wickets in his first 10 deliveries he sent down. Starting a series well is so often so important for what goes to happen at the end of it all
h) Underestimating the Pakistan team after the spot fixing scandal and how far they had come under Misbah ul Haq and talking of underestimating they also did so for the Pakistani bowler Rehman and Gul whereas they were taken a bit by suprirse by Hafeez who got 5 left handers dismissed at just 16 as all the talk was surrounding Saeed Ajmal
Combined Series XI
1) Mohammad Hafeez
2) Alastair Cook
3) Azhar Ali
4) Younis Khan
5) Misbah ul Haq (C)
6) Asad Shafiq
7) Matt Prior (WK)
8) Stuart Broad
9) Abdur Rehman
10) Saeed Ajmal
11) James Anderson
Pakistan’s ODI Squad
Batsmen
Misbah ul Haq (C)
Younis Khan
Azhar Ali
Asad Shafiq
Imran Farhat
Shoaib Malik (added on the request of Misbah ul Haq)
Wicket Keepers
Umar Akmal
Adnan Akmal
All Rounders
Mohammad Hafeez
Shahid Afridi
Hammad Azam
Fast Bowlers
Umar Gul
Wahab Riaz
Aizaz Cheema
Junaid Khan
Specialist Spinners
Saeed Ajmal
Abdur Rehman
Sessions WON
Pak 21
Eng 12
1st test: 6-3 Pak
2nd test: 6-6
3rd test: 9-3 Pak
Quotes Collection On Misbah ul Haq Author: Maaz; Views: 1729; Date: 6-02-2012, 14:07;
“He has a statesman like demeanour. He has the best cricketing brain and intellect in the country. He has a rare quality which so many Pakistani captains have lacked with that he handles adversity analytically and not emotionally. He is a clear winner; note his outstanding domestic record as captain. A very suitable candidate to repair the damage Ijaz Butt and some players have done with the international cricketing community. Ideally he should have been appointed captain 6 years ago” : Geoff Lawson in October 2010
“Youngsters are benefiting from Misbah’s professional approach”: Mohammad Akram September 2011
“Misbah is very wise and is handling things very well”: Wasim Akram (December 2011)
“Misbah deserves credit for the recent success of the team”: Basit Ali (October 2011)
“Brace yourself. Barring injury or something drastic between now and the end of the England tour Misbah would have led in 15 tests straight. That is a record only bettered by Waqar and Inzamam as long as the days of Imran and Miandad. How would he have managed this period of unimaginable stability? I’m still unsure and how would he have managed it to the extent that no one thought was possible” – Osman Samiuddin. (November 2011)
“He has one of the best techniques in the world when it comes to defending watchfully and tightly prodding forward against spinners with bad pads around”: Waqar Younis (November 2011)
Maravan Atapattu: “Best Pakistan team since the team with the 2 Ws” (November 2011, when Misbah wascaptain)
“This is the best Pakistan team I have played in” – Younis Khan (November 2010)
“Misbah saved Pakistan cricket, In this melee, entered Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s go to man at the age of 37. Why the nation’s most naturally gifted cricket captain since Imran Khan has stayed on the sidelines for so long is an intriguing question. Great credit should be given to him though, for he has gradually becalmed a swirl-pool of ill-discipline and inconsistency marring Pakistan cricket for so long. ” – Saifur Umair from Express Tribune
“There is calmness and brightness when Misbah is at the crease”: Ramiz Raja
“Misbah is Pakistan’s best player and he should be batting in the top 4”: Imran Khan
“Misbah deserves the credit for uniting this broken team”: Aamir Sohail (March 2011)
“The Misbah question is why there is a question? Pakistan undefeated in a test series since the shameful tour of England. Away wins against New Zealand and Zimbabwe, draws against South Africa and West Indies. And a ‘home’ success against Sri Lanka. A sequence of results which exceeds expectations. As a captain Misbah has the 2nd highest average by a captain after Don Bradman (minimum qualifications of 10 tests). Why the murmurings of discontent?”– Kamran Abbasi (November 2011)
“He is calm, disciplined and calculated” – Waqar Younis (November 2010)
“Misbah should be appointed test captain” – Ramiz Raja (October 2010)
“Misbah is an educated person and has the respect of the team” – Younis Khan (December 2011)
“Misbah should captain Pakistan in the World Cup” – Abdul Qadir (pre 2011 CWC)
Rameez pointed out that like him, Misbah had done his MBA and given a new lease of life to his career at the age of 33, when most contemplate retirement."I admire that person who is respected in the dressing room. I don't bother about what he does off the field in his spare time. But at an age (33) when most people think about retiring, Misbah has shown strength of character by excelling at the top level and surprised everyone with hisperformances," Rameez said. (2008)
"I have to give full credit to Misbah as he has stabilised the team and leads from the front. His performance is also outstanding. He makes the boys feel comfortable and relaxed so they actually enjoy their cricket. He is mature and willing to listen. The only unfortunate thing is the age factor which is not in Misbah's side." - Waqar Younis (2011)
"Misbah is calm and composed, tactically astute and, every now and then, willing to gamble. Not long ago, Pakistani observers were convinced he could not re-enter a middle order populated by talented newcomers. Now fans are ruing the fact that he is already 37 and won't be around for much longer" - Saad Shafqat
"Misbah may have copped a lot of criticism for his painfully slow batting in ODIs, but he still averaged above 50 with 9 fifties in 2011. His slow approach may not be suited to the modern demands of the game, but he ensured that the word 'collapse' was taken out of the equation when Pakistan were playing." - Cricbuzz.com. One of Cricket's most leading sites across the globe.
"Younis and Misbah have set high fitness benchmark" - MKH Oct 2011
Responsibility. Some thrive on it, others crumble under its weight.Being made captain of an international cricket side is certainly a responsible position. Being made captain of Pakistan in the wake of the Lord’s spot-fixing scandal that had consumed the previous skipper Salman Butt had even more responsibility attached to it.Such was the burden placed on Misbah-ul-Haq’s shoulders.Pakistan could easily have imploded. But it didn’t and Misbah must take a lot of credit for that.At the Reverse Sweep, we find it absurd that Misbah attracts so much criticism from Pakistan cricket followers on blogs and Twitter. - November 2011
Kudos for the current Pakistani resurgence, though, goes primarily to Misbah, whose calm leadership and even calmer batting have lent stability to the most storm-tossed vessel on the high seas. The contrast to his disgraced predecessor could hardly have been starker. Among the new, true allrounders - i.e. those picked across all three formats - none averaged more than his 57.20. The first 40-year-old national skipper since Imran Khan? Don't put it past him. - Rob Steen Cricinfo Mid December 2011
"I think Misbah is an intelligent player and composed captain, and he communicates well with the players. He has also quickly picked up the
confidence to push for victories, plus he is batting extremely well. I tell him to just go out and get runs and don't waste any innings. He has served Pakistan cricket very well." - Mohsin Hassan Khan December 2011
Younis Khan at Pakistan's dinner function : "I have played under so many captains but found Misbah - the best ever captain in my career" - Younis Khan via Umar Farooq Kalson Pakistan's cricinfo correspondent who attended Pakistan's dinner evening function along with the squad for the England series to celebrate their success in 2011 today
"Misbah, with the team that Waqar built, has been able to get Pakistan back to the 1980s formula: lay the foundations at the top – regardless of the format – and then proceed; when bowling, force the team to give their wickets away, rather than pursuing them. In the absence of bowlers the quality of Imran and Wasim, it’s the trio of spinners who are the stars. And each of the trio takes his wicket by choking the batsman until he submits rather than the swift blow to the head preferred by the stars of the 80s and 90s. But, this is a strategy acceptable to Pakistan only under Afridi, but not under Misbah, it would seem.The indifference towards Misbah stems from his refusal to go for targets, firstly in the South Africa series last year, then again in the recently concluded Sri Lanka series. However, what he does is logical. A team with the history of poor chasing and collapses – particularly in fourth innings – has every reason to be cautious.Furthermore, isn’t that what Imran did? After all, Pakistan’s greatest captain – that paragon of aggression – drew more than half the matches he led. His reputation as the leader is built upon his captaincy in ODIs. But isn’t that what Misbah does: cautious in Tests, attacking in ODIs?" - Mediagag from Dawn
“The way Misbah is captaining the Pakistan team in test matches; Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should appoint him as captain for ODI series against New Zealand and also in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.His own performance with the bat is also very impressive which adds to the team confidence" - Zaheer Abbas February 2011
“Afridi has failed to lead from the front and on the other hand, Misbah has taken the pressure on himself and led from the front in test matches which is more difficult form of cricket. I think Misbah is the right choice to lead Pakistan in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011,” - Sikander Bakht February 2011
"Long-term success in any top-level sport begins first with learning how not to lose. Pakistan’s great team of the 1980s boasted Mudassar Nazar as its opening batsman, the scorer of the slowest century in Test cricket. The next step is learning how to win from different positions. The final milestone is domination. Team Misbah are finishing stage one, and the England series will be a proper examination of their progress." - Kamran Abbasi December 2011
"The level headed, intelligent and sensible captain of Pakistan. A cricketer who has flourished since taking over the role of Pakistan captain and thankfully has let his cricket do the talking. A man who doesn't feel the need to give interviews to the media every other day to justify his popularity.A man who feels he doesn't need to invite the media around his house to keep them "on side".A man who doesn't feel the need to pay for the media for their meals whilst on tour. A man who has done the hard yards in domestic cricket over the years and deserves every success. A humble, hard working cricketer who has the respect of the dressing room, the PCB and all the backroom staff. He'll have his work cut out in the upcoming series against England, but one thing is for sure, Misbah will give his all ! " - Saj from Pakpassion in January 2012
Misbah's updated profile description on ESPN cricinfo after all his success in 2011 reads as follows: it was in 2011 that Misbah truly rose above the crowd and established his credentials as a top-class batsman and a leader of men. Perhaps it's his degree in business management that has helped him manage, and get the best out of, a team as unpredictable as Pakistan - January 2012
"Spoke to Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq today. Came across very well and seems to be handling a difficult job with grace and good humour" - Dean Willson from the Mirrow January 2012
"His captaincy has had a calm influence on the players. He sets good examples and his own game has improved by a mile," added Raja, referring to a Test batting average touching 76 since Misbah'sappointment."It was an important phase that was handled manfully by everybody - the captain, the board and the players." - Rameez Raja January 2012
"Yet under Afridi’s captaincy, the Pakistani team could internally combust any second. A brainwave was always just around the corner. A captain’s temperament reflects largely on his team’s performances. Mercurial leaders often breed unpredictability. Precisely for this reason, the calm and composed Misbah is anideal man for leading Pakistan.Far more important than the results is the unbridled joy of watching a Pakistani team playing consistently solid, controversy-free cricket. These are attributes which a cricket fan like me has longed to witness. Finally, we have a captain who can collar his players, and on the back of stellar personal performances, command enough respect to instill a fighting spirit into the team. " - Safwan Umair
"For now, results are the only way to be taken seriously. On that count Misbah-ul-Haq’s team have over-delivered. Does it matter how they have done it? To my mind, it matters little. Pakistan cricket was a shipwreck waiting for a Viking burial. There was only one way to go and that was down to the depths of obscurity with the wailing of legends for a death song." - Kamran Abbasi December 2011
"Pakistan have played to their strengths (their bowling attack) and within their limitations (the pace of their batting). Simply put, Pakistan have wicket-taking bowlers and defensive batsmen, a formula that has succeeded thus far. Asking this batting line-up to score at four an over would be suicidal." - Kamran Abbasi December 2011
"Many were, at best, indifferent about Misbah before the tour, but he has begun to gain greater acceptance; some are relieved to have come upon such a calming influence, others resigned to a successful streak of pragmatism. His 66 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, which laid the way for a shaky three-wicket triumph but a thumping 4-1 series win over Sri Lanka, captured the effect well. It was not a flashy intervention, but it was serene and came precisely in the kind of middling chase Pakistan often fluff." - Osman Samiuddin November 2011
"Not least of Misbah's achievements as captain - and this includes the series with South Africa - is that it went off without anybody being killed. No one ran away and no bookies have yet been sighted. Daniel Vettori even completed his press conference duties without insinuating anything untoward about Umar Gul's fine fourth-evening spell in Wellington. It is a minor triumph. There is no shortage of remarkable stories in Pakistan cricket but Misbah's is something else altogether" - Osman Samiuddin January 2011
"History may not remember Misbah as the most dynamic or visionary captain. But bearing in mind the hand fate dealt him and the context in which he took on the job, he may prove to be exactly the right man in the right position at the right time. Pakistan cricket has had plenty of flamboyant, unpredictable individuals. It could, perhaps, do with a little more calm, a little more predictability and a little more teamwork. Pakistan may yet come to be very grateful for Misbah-ul-Haq." - George Dobell from ESPN cricinfo
"Misbah is a very cool and calm character and what I saw in the Tests was very impressive, he handles things well and is somewhat like Ranatunga and he has the patience to wait until he achieves what he wants to," said Atapattu of the 37-year-old. November 2011
"Misbah became a professional cricketer late in his career, after completing an MBA degree aged 25. He was always considered to be one of the smartest men in the team, but only secured a permanent place when the selectors were looking for someone to take over from Salman Butt. A shrewd and pragmatic captain, the only trouble is that at 37 he may be too old to lead the side for long." - Andy Bull From Telegraph January 2012
"Comparing the 13 Tests under Misbah with the 13 before them shows that Pakistan have conceded almost the same number of runs (7007 versus 6964) and taken wickets with a more or less similar average (29.07 versus 33.16), but the batting average under Misbah has almost doubled, from 24.30 to 41.80. In other words, Pakistan's bowling was strong before, and continues to be strong under Misbah, but now the batsmen are giving their bowlers enough runs to play with. The result is that Pakistan have won seven of the 13 Tests under Misbah, compared with three wins and eight losses inthe 13 previous Tests." Saad Shafqat
"Misbah has got it right. He may be risk-averse by nature, but he has managed to translate that into acohesive unit that is showing results. That is a remarkable achievement." - Sikander Bakht January 2012
"Leadership has enhanced Misbah's batting, in particular his responsibility in constructing an innings and that is a handy trick. Certainly he hasn't looked out of depth, or naïve, on the field, to some extent proving Lawson's assessment that he handles problems analytically not emotionally. Years of domestic leadership have no doubt helped.PS Misbah would make a great chairman of the PCB in another 15 years!!! Lawson once signed off. Best reserve a copy of that book now." - Osman in January 2011
Misbah has been a knight in shining armour, if there ever was one, for Pakistan cricket. If it weren't for him, who knows where we might have been today. - Well Pitched
"Misbah has regenerated Pakistan, averaged 80, and held them together again today. The most importantcricketer in the last year" - Wisden editor Scyld Berry
"He has learnt that he does not need to have a charismatic authoritarian stature or exhibitionist religiosity to bag the players’ and the media’s respect. He just needs to be Misbah — a contemplative selfless professional who articulates only on matters he knows best but is extremely private about his social and religious musings. Perhaps every other player needs to become a Misbah (and seems to have become); and maybe so does the Pakistani society as a whole." - Dawn
Misbah is the CEO, and Mohsin is the supportive and watchful chairman, standing steadfastly behind him. What they are doing together is not merely working, it is working wonders - Saad Shafqat ESPN cricinfo
Geoff Lawson on Pakistan's test series win:" I predicted that they would win the series before it started. I just think Pakistan has been playing some terrific cricket, particularly under Misbah. I have been saying for several years that he should have been the captain. They play very consistently and he’s a great leader and tactically he is outstanding. Obviously the players have a lot of respect for him, and it seems to be that everyone is playing for the team and no one is playing for themselves, which you couldn’t say that for a lot of past Pakistan teams."
Aamir Sohail on Misbah ul Haq talking to Pakpassion.net says : I will be as diplomatic as possible, but whoever criticises Misbah ul Haq does not know anything about cricket at all. Those that criticise Misbah need to read coaching manuals and sit down with ex cricketers and to learn about the psyche of cricket. His critics were waiting for his team to fail against England and they were saying that they have only beaten the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Critics were saying that the Pakistani players that did well against the lesser teams will fail against higher profile opposition like England. Even the great Pakistani teams of the past lacked cricketing discipline and relied mainly on talent. Misbah’s philosophy is based on discipline and I am sure his philosophy will have a major impact on Pakistan cricket in years to come.
"England need to look at the way Misbah-ul-Haq plays the spinners. He plants his front foot down and either plays through extra cover or hits over the top. Unless you are a brilliant sweeper, that is the way to play." - Michael Vaughan
England were good in Abu Dhabi but Pakistan were better, ripping an absorbing Test match from the grip of their formidable opponents. A series win in such a thrilling manner has surprised even Pakistan’s carewornsupporters. Misbah’s Pakistan, of steel, unity, and joy, has given the whole nation a cause to celebrate. - Kamran Abbasi from ESPN cricinfo
It would be an exaggeration to say that Pakistan’s cricket could have died of shame after the spot-fixing, but it could have wilted and declined, scandalous and homeless. But Misbah has stopped that happening, by averaging 80 as Test captain, and by his leadership. In his calm, cautious and cunning way, Misbah has been the most important cricketer in the world in the last year. Misbah is not as good a player as Inzamam-ul-Haq, ButMisbah has something of Inzamam’s lordly demeanour, and he is a far more impressive captain. But his characteristics were just what Pakistan needed after the manic captaincy of Shahid Afridi and the criminal one of Salman Butt." - Scyld Berry Wisden Editor
"The performance of the team recently is down to Misbah Ul Haq. Mohsin Khan will be doing nothing. I am quite aware of what his capabilities are, from the time I was coach of the Pakistan team. He was in charge of the National Academy in Karachi and not very 'cluey' in his job. This is down to Misbah and his senior players and his organisation. I still think if Pakistan wants to go ahead, they still need a quality coach. DavWhatamore is the right person." - Lawson
Michael Atherton - "Misbah ul haq is a Natural leader, A Natural player. He took over this side after the series here in England which would be remembered for all the wrong reasons and he has united this side I mean Pakistan are now looking like a much better team than before and Misbah has done outstandingly well for this Pakistan side and has so far let nothing come in his way"
"Pakistan confirmed to me this week that they are by far the best team in the Sub Continent at theminute.... By a country mile.." - Vaughan January 19th 2012 when Misbah led Pakistan to a 10 wicket win over the world number 1 ranked side to go 1-0 up in Dubai
"It is only because of the happy environment that Pakistan went out there believing they could win and they floored the best team in the
world. It was an outstanding performance." - Raja Jan 2012
Serene characters like Misbah are few and far between in Pakistan cricket. We’ve seen the hot-headedness from Younis Khan, Ijaz Butt and Shahid Afridi in recent times and the chaos created by the match-fixers Salman Butt, Mohammeds Asif and Amir. Misbah is a man with such wide ranging qualities (also holds a MBA in business management) that he could easily take up the coaching role or a board position once he retires form playing – something I hope he does. This man should be backed to the hilt. - Stani Army June 2011
"Pakistan should be proud of their skipper and all he has achieved. I like his stoic nature and canny leadership. Appointing him as
captain is the best decision the PCB has made for a long, long time." "At the heart of Pakistan’s revival has been Misbah himself." "He was entrusted with the seemingly thankless task of rejuvenating the side."... "He has shown the way, top scoring for Pakistan since he became captain with 1037 runs at an impressiveaverage of 74.07. He clearly relishes leading the side."There was much work to be done to restore pride in Pakistan’s cricket and to achieve this, the PCB made their best decision for many years – they turned to Misbah." By Miles Reucroft http://www.thecricketblog.com/
"Misbah is very mature and he has been in and around cricket for a very long time.Having an older, calm, experienced player in charge of the team has been a very positive move for Pakistan, he is doing an excellent job.” - Former Pakistan Captain Majid Khan
"Misbah annoys you as a bowler at times, because we couldn’t seem to get him out for anything less than fifty the last time he was here. He is a great batsman but tends to get under your skin the way he plays. But I think that’s more credit to his game and us not being able to get him out more than anything else." - Tim Southee
"Then during the match when Kohli was out, Shahid Afridi approached me and said to me Yuvraj is in now, what are you going to do? I said I wanted to bowl a yorker straight away. But Shahid asked me to bowl a length ball so he [Yuvraj] would get out in the slips. However, I urged Shahid to let me bowl the yorker regardless of the consequences. I was prepared to be hit for a six or four, but I really wanted to bowl a yorker to him first up. Misbah was standing close by, so he also suggested to Shahid to let me bowl the yorker. So Shahid agreed and said alright bowl the yorker. In the end, by the grace of God, I was able to do what I had said a couple of days before the match. I bowled him out on the first ball – it was definitely a joyous moment." - Wahab Riaz
"Misbah bhai has pushed me a lot. I have played under him under Faisalabad and SNGPL. He’s always behaved very well as captain and I always thank him for whatever opportunities I’ve been given such as touring and league cricket - his backing has helped me a great deal along the way. He even says that I am his favourite bowler!" - Asad Ali
"So often, the best innings are not about the strokes a batsman plays, but those he does not. They are about discipline. About concentration. About denial. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq defied England on a day when the bowlers, led by Stuart Broad, were on top. Misbah is the spine of the Pakistan team. Without him their batting would appear fragile and, in both Tests so far, he has provided resistance at a time when it appeared England's bowlers could take the initiative. " - George Dobell in Abu Dhabi January 25, 2012
“Youngsters are benefiting from Misbah’s professional approach”: Mohammad Akram September 2011
“Misbah is very wise and is handling things very well”: Wasim Akram (December 2011)
“Misbah deserves credit for the recent success of the team”: Basit Ali (October 2011)
“Brace yourself. Barring injury or something drastic between now and the end of the England tour Misbah would have led in 15 tests straight. That is a record only bettered by Waqar and Inzamam as long as the days of Imran and Miandad. How would he have managed this period of unimaginable stability? I’m still unsure and how would he have managed it to the extent that no one thought was possible” – Osman Samiuddin. (November 2011)
“He has one of the best techniques in the world when it comes to defending watchfully and tightly prodding forward against spinners with bad pads around”: Waqar Younis (November 2011)
Maravan Atapattu: “Best Pakistan team since the team with the 2 Ws” (November 2011, when Misbah wascaptain)
“This is the best Pakistan team I have played in” – Younis Khan (November 2010)
“Misbah saved Pakistan cricket, In this melee, entered Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s go to man at the age of 37. Why the nation’s most naturally gifted cricket captain since Imran Khan has stayed on the sidelines for so long is an intriguing question. Great credit should be given to him though, for he has gradually becalmed a swirl-pool of ill-discipline and inconsistency marring Pakistan cricket for so long. ” – Saifur Umair from Express Tribune
“There is calmness and brightness when Misbah is at the crease”: Ramiz Raja
“Misbah is Pakistan’s best player and he should be batting in the top 4”: Imran Khan
“Misbah deserves the credit for uniting this broken team”: Aamir Sohail (March 2011)
“The Misbah question is why there is a question? Pakistan undefeated in a test series since the shameful tour of England. Away wins against New Zealand and Zimbabwe, draws against South Africa and West Indies. And a ‘home’ success against Sri Lanka. A sequence of results which exceeds expectations. As a captain Misbah has the 2nd highest average by a captain after Don Bradman (minimum qualifications of 10 tests). Why the murmurings of discontent?”– Kamran Abbasi (November 2011)
“He is calm, disciplined and calculated” – Waqar Younis (November 2010)
“Misbah should be appointed test captain” – Ramiz Raja (October 2010)
“Misbah is an educated person and has the respect of the team” – Younis Khan (December 2011)
“Misbah should captain Pakistan in the World Cup” – Abdul Qadir (pre 2011 CWC)
Rameez pointed out that like him, Misbah had done his MBA and given a new lease of life to his career at the age of 33, when most contemplate retirement."I admire that person who is respected in the dressing room. I don't bother about what he does off the field in his spare time. But at an age (33) when most people think about retiring, Misbah has shown strength of character by excelling at the top level and surprised everyone with hisperformances," Rameez said. (2008)
"I have to give full credit to Misbah as he has stabilised the team and leads from the front. His performance is also outstanding. He makes the boys feel comfortable and relaxed so they actually enjoy their cricket. He is mature and willing to listen. The only unfortunate thing is the age factor which is not in Misbah's side." - Waqar Younis (2011)
"His brain works like a computer" - Sunil Gavaskar (2007)
"This man has nerves of steel under pressure" - Ravi Shastri
"I've said this before, I was asked about Misbah before the [2011] World Cup on who should be captain, and back than I was quoted as saying Misbah should be captain. A lot of people went to Shahid [Afridi], said a few things, saying “Azhar said Afridi shouldn't be captain”. I had a reason for saying it – the reporter I was talking to, I was just chatting with him like a normal person talks to another. What I said was “The World Cup is a big competition. Therewill be a lot of pressure on Afridi, and he is a match-winner. Afridi should just concentrate on his game. If he does concentrate on his game, he will win us matches. If he has the pressure of captaincy, then he will have the captaincy, the media pressure, handling the team and also his own performance. There will be so much pressure on him, and it will affect his performance.”From that point, I said Misbah should be made captain, Misbah is a very sensible individual, whereas Afridi is a little hyper. And he can't control his emotions in the way Misbah can, which is there for all to see. " - AzharMahmood (Decmber 2011)
"Misbah is calm and composed, tactically astute and, every now and then, willing to gamble. Not long ago, Pakistani observers were convinced he could not re-enter a middle order populated by talented newcomers. Now fans are ruing the fact that he is already 37 and won't be around for much longer" - Saad Shafqat
"Misbah may have copped a lot of criticism for his painfully slow batting in ODIs, but he still averaged above 50 with 9 fifties in 2011. His slow approach may not be suited to the modern demands of the game, but he ensured that the word 'collapse' was taken out of the equation when Pakistan were playing." - Cricbuzz.com. One of Cricket's most leading sites across the globe.
"Younis and Misbah have set high fitness benchmark" - MKH Oct 2011
Responsibility. Some thrive on it, others crumble under its weight.Being made captain of an international cricket side is certainly a responsible position. Being made captain of Pakistan in the wake of the Lord’s spot-fixing scandal that had consumed the previous skipper Salman Butt had even more responsibility attached to it.Such was the burden placed on Misbah-ul-Haq’s shoulders.Pakistan could easily have imploded. But it didn’t and Misbah must take a lot of credit for that.At the Reverse Sweep, we find it absurd that Misbah attracts so much criticism from Pakistan cricket followers on blogs and Twitter. - November 2011
Kudos for the current Pakistani resurgence, though, goes primarily to Misbah, whose calm leadership and even calmer batting have lent stability to the most storm-tossed vessel on the high seas. The contrast to his disgraced predecessor could hardly have been starker. Among the new, true allrounders - i.e. those picked across all three formats - none averaged more than his 57.20. The first 40-year-old national skipper since Imran Khan? Don't put it past him. - Rob Steen Cricinfo Mid December 2011
"I think Misbah is an intelligent player and composed captain, and he communicates well with the players. He has also quickly picked up the
confidence to push for victories, plus he is batting extremely well. I tell him to just go out and get runs and don't waste any innings. He has served Pakistan cricket very well." - Mohsin Hassan Khan December 2011
Younis Khan at Pakistan's dinner function : "I have played under so many captains but found Misbah - the best ever captain in my career" - Younis Khan via Umar Farooq Kalson Pakistan's cricinfo correspondent who attended Pakistan's dinner evening function along with the squad for the England series to celebrate their success in 2011 today
"Misbah, with the team that Waqar built, has been able to get Pakistan back to the 1980s formula: lay the foundations at the top – regardless of the format – and then proceed; when bowling, force the team to give their wickets away, rather than pursuing them. In the absence of bowlers the quality of Imran and Wasim, it’s the trio of spinners who are the stars. And each of the trio takes his wicket by choking the batsman until he submits rather than the swift blow to the head preferred by the stars of the 80s and 90s. But, this is a strategy acceptable to Pakistan only under Afridi, but not under Misbah, it would seem.The indifference towards Misbah stems from his refusal to go for targets, firstly in the South Africa series last year, then again in the recently concluded Sri Lanka series. However, what he does is logical. A team with the history of poor chasing and collapses – particularly in fourth innings – has every reason to be cautious.Furthermore, isn’t that what Imran did? After all, Pakistan’s greatest captain – that paragon of aggression – drew more than half the matches he led. His reputation as the leader is built upon his captaincy in ODIs. But isn’t that what Misbah does: cautious in Tests, attacking in ODIs?" - Mediagag from Dawn
“The way Misbah is captaining the Pakistan team in test matches; Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should appoint him as captain for ODI series against New Zealand and also in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.His own performance with the bat is also very impressive which adds to the team confidence" - Zaheer Abbas February 2011
“Afridi has failed to lead from the front and on the other hand, Misbah has taken the pressure on himself and led from the front in test matches which is more difficult form of cricket. I think Misbah is the right choice to lead Pakistan in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011,” - Sikander Bakht February 2011
"Long-term success in any top-level sport begins first with learning how not to lose. Pakistan’s great team of the 1980s boasted Mudassar Nazar as its opening batsman, the scorer of the slowest century in Test cricket. The next step is learning how to win from different positions. The final milestone is domination. Team Misbah are finishing stage one, and the England series will be a proper examination of their progress." - Kamran Abbasi December 2011
"The level headed, intelligent and sensible captain of Pakistan. A cricketer who has flourished since taking over the role of Pakistan captain and thankfully has let his cricket do the talking. A man who doesn't feel the need to give interviews to the media every other day to justify his popularity.A man who feels he doesn't need to invite the media around his house to keep them "on side".A man who doesn't feel the need to pay for the media for their meals whilst on tour. A man who has done the hard yards in domestic cricket over the years and deserves every success. A humble, hard working cricketer who has the respect of the dressing room, the PCB and all the backroom staff. He'll have his work cut out in the upcoming series against England, but one thing is for sure, Misbah will give his all ! " - Saj from Pakpassion in January 2012
Misbah's updated profile description on ESPN cricinfo after all his success in 2011 reads as follows: it was in 2011 that Misbah truly rose above the crowd and established his credentials as a top-class batsman and a leader of men. Perhaps it's his degree in business management that has helped him manage, and get the best out of, a team as unpredictable as Pakistan - January 2012
"Spoke to Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq today. Came across very well and seems to be handling a difficult job with grace and good humour" - Dean Willson from the Mirrow January 2012
"His captaincy has had a calm influence on the players. He sets good examples and his own game has improved by a mile," added Raja, referring to a Test batting average touching 76 since Misbah'sappointment."It was an important phase that was handled manfully by everybody - the captain, the board and the players." - Rameez Raja January 2012
"Yet under Afridi’s captaincy, the Pakistani team could internally combust any second. A brainwave was always just around the corner. A captain’s temperament reflects largely on his team’s performances. Mercurial leaders often breed unpredictability. Precisely for this reason, the calm and composed Misbah is anideal man for leading Pakistan.Far more important than the results is the unbridled joy of watching a Pakistani team playing consistently solid, controversy-free cricket. These are attributes which a cricket fan like me has longed to witness. Finally, we have a captain who can collar his players, and on the back of stellar personal performances, command enough respect to instill a fighting spirit into the team. " - Safwan Umair
"For now, results are the only way to be taken seriously. On that count Misbah-ul-Haq’s team have over-delivered. Does it matter how they have done it? To my mind, it matters little. Pakistan cricket was a shipwreck waiting for a Viking burial. There was only one way to go and that was down to the depths of obscurity with the wailing of legends for a death song." - Kamran Abbasi December 2011
"Pakistan have played to their strengths (their bowling attack) and within their limitations (the pace of their batting). Simply put, Pakistan have wicket-taking bowlers and defensive batsmen, a formula that has succeeded thus far. Asking this batting line-up to score at four an over would be suicidal." - Kamran Abbasi December 2011
"Many were, at best, indifferent about Misbah before the tour, but he has begun to gain greater acceptance; some are relieved to have come upon such a calming influence, others resigned to a successful streak of pragmatism. His 66 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, which laid the way for a shaky three-wicket triumph but a thumping 4-1 series win over Sri Lanka, captured the effect well. It was not a flashy intervention, but it was serene and came precisely in the kind of middling chase Pakistan often fluff." - Osman Samiuddin November 2011
"Not least of Misbah's achievements as captain - and this includes the series with South Africa - is that it went off without anybody being killed. No one ran away and no bookies have yet been sighted. Daniel Vettori even completed his press conference duties without insinuating anything untoward about Umar Gul's fine fourth-evening spell in Wellington. It is a minor triumph. There is no shortage of remarkable stories in Pakistan cricket but Misbah's is something else altogether" - Osman Samiuddin January 2011
"History may not remember Misbah as the most dynamic or visionary captain. But bearing in mind the hand fate dealt him and the context in which he took on the job, he may prove to be exactly the right man in the right position at the right time. Pakistan cricket has had plenty of flamboyant, unpredictable individuals. It could, perhaps, do with a little more calm, a little more predictability and a little more teamwork. Pakistan may yet come to be very grateful for Misbah-ul-Haq." - George Dobell from ESPN cricinfo
"Misbah is a very cool and calm character and what I saw in the Tests was very impressive, he handles things well and is somewhat like Ranatunga and he has the patience to wait until he achieves what he wants to," said Atapattu of the 37-year-old. November 2011
"Misbah became a professional cricketer late in his career, after completing an MBA degree aged 25. He was always considered to be one of the smartest men in the team, but only secured a permanent place when the selectors were looking for someone to take over from Salman Butt. A shrewd and pragmatic captain, the only trouble is that at 37 he may be too old to lead the side for long." - Andy Bull From Telegraph January 2012
"Comparing the 13 Tests under Misbah with the 13 before them shows that Pakistan have conceded almost the same number of runs (7007 versus 6964) and taken wickets with a more or less similar average (29.07 versus 33.16), but the batting average under Misbah has almost doubled, from 24.30 to 41.80. In other words, Pakistan's bowling was strong before, and continues to be strong under Misbah, but now the batsmen are giving their bowlers enough runs to play with. The result is that Pakistan have won seven of the 13 Tests under Misbah, compared with three wins and eight losses inthe 13 previous Tests." Saad Shafqat
"Misbah has got it right. He may be risk-averse by nature, but he has managed to translate that into acohesive unit that is showing results. That is a remarkable achievement." - Sikander Bakht January 2012
"Leadership has enhanced Misbah's batting, in particular his responsibility in constructing an innings and that is a handy trick. Certainly he hasn't looked out of depth, or naïve, on the field, to some extent proving Lawson's assessment that he handles problems analytically not emotionally. Years of domestic leadership have no doubt helped.PS Misbah would make a great chairman of the PCB in another 15 years!!! Lawson once signed off. Best reserve a copy of that book now." - Osman in January 2011
Misbah has been a knight in shining armour, if there ever was one, for Pakistan cricket. If it weren't for him, who knows where we might have been today. - Well Pitched
"Misbah has regenerated Pakistan, averaged 80, and held them together again today. The most importantcricketer in the last year" - Wisden editor Scyld Berry
"He has learnt that he does not need to have a charismatic authoritarian stature or exhibitionist religiosity to bag the players’ and the media’s respect. He just needs to be Misbah — a contemplative selfless professional who articulates only on matters he knows best but is extremely private about his social and religious musings. Perhaps every other player needs to become a Misbah (and seems to have become); and maybe so does the Pakistani society as a whole." - Dawn
Misbah is the CEO, and Mohsin is the supportive and watchful chairman, standing steadfastly behind him. What they are doing together is not merely working, it is working wonders - Saad Shafqat ESPN cricinfo
Geoff Lawson on Pakistan's test series win:" I predicted that they would win the series before it started. I just think Pakistan has been playing some terrific cricket, particularly under Misbah. I have been saying for several years that he should have been the captain. They play very consistently and he’s a great leader and tactically he is outstanding. Obviously the players have a lot of respect for him, and it seems to be that everyone is playing for the team and no one is playing for themselves, which you couldn’t say that for a lot of past Pakistan teams."
Aamir Sohail on Misbah ul Haq talking to Pakpassion.net says : I will be as diplomatic as possible, but whoever criticises Misbah ul Haq does not know anything about cricket at all. Those that criticise Misbah need to read coaching manuals and sit down with ex cricketers and to learn about the psyche of cricket. His critics were waiting for his team to fail against England and they were saying that they have only beaten the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Critics were saying that the Pakistani players that did well against the lesser teams will fail against higher profile opposition like England. Even the great Pakistani teams of the past lacked cricketing discipline and relied mainly on talent. Misbah’s philosophy is based on discipline and I am sure his philosophy will have a major impact on Pakistan cricket in years to come.
"England need to look at the way Misbah-ul-Haq plays the spinners. He plants his front foot down and either plays through extra cover or hits over the top. Unless you are a brilliant sweeper, that is the way to play." - Michael Vaughan
England were good in Abu Dhabi but Pakistan were better, ripping an absorbing Test match from the grip of their formidable opponents. A series win in such a thrilling manner has surprised even Pakistan’s carewornsupporters. Misbah’s Pakistan, of steel, unity, and joy, has given the whole nation a cause to celebrate. - Kamran Abbasi from ESPN cricinfo
It would be an exaggeration to say that Pakistan’s cricket could have died of shame after the spot-fixing, but it could have wilted and declined, scandalous and homeless. But Misbah has stopped that happening, by averaging 80 as Test captain, and by his leadership. In his calm, cautious and cunning way, Misbah has been the most important cricketer in the world in the last year. Misbah is not as good a player as Inzamam-ul-Haq, ButMisbah has something of Inzamam’s lordly demeanour, and he is a far more impressive captain. But his characteristics were just what Pakistan needed after the manic captaincy of Shahid Afridi and the criminal one of Salman Butt." - Scyld Berry Wisden Editor
"The performance of the team recently is down to Misbah Ul Haq. Mohsin Khan will be doing nothing. I am quite aware of what his capabilities are, from the time I was coach of the Pakistan team. He was in charge of the National Academy in Karachi and not very 'cluey' in his job. This is down to Misbah and his senior players and his organisation. I still think if Pakistan wants to go ahead, they still need a quality coach. DavWhatamore is the right person." - Lawson
Michael Atherton - "Misbah ul haq is a Natural leader, A Natural player. He took over this side after the series here in England which would be remembered for all the wrong reasons and he has united this side I mean Pakistan are now looking like a much better team than before and Misbah has done outstandingly well for this Pakistan side and has so far let nothing come in his way"
"Pakistan confirmed to me this week that they are by far the best team in the Sub Continent at theminute.... By a country mile.." - Vaughan January 19th 2012 when Misbah led Pakistan to a 10 wicket win over the world number 1 ranked side to go 1-0 up in Dubai
"It is only because of the happy environment that Pakistan went out there believing they could win and they floored the best team in the
world. It was an outstanding performance." - Raja Jan 2012
Serene characters like Misbah are few and far between in Pakistan cricket. We’ve seen the hot-headedness from Younis Khan, Ijaz Butt and Shahid Afridi in recent times and the chaos created by the match-fixers Salman Butt, Mohammeds Asif and Amir. Misbah is a man with such wide ranging qualities (also holds a MBA in business management) that he could easily take up the coaching role or a board position once he retires form playing – something I hope he does. This man should be backed to the hilt. - Stani Army June 2011
"Pakistan should be proud of their skipper and all he has achieved. I like his stoic nature and canny leadership. Appointing him as
captain is the best decision the PCB has made for a long, long time." "At the heart of Pakistan’s revival has been Misbah himself." "He was entrusted with the seemingly thankless task of rejuvenating the side."... "He has shown the way, top scoring for Pakistan since he became captain with 1037 runs at an impressiveaverage of 74.07. He clearly relishes leading the side."There was much work to be done to restore pride in Pakistan’s cricket and to achieve this, the PCB made their best decision for many years – they turned to Misbah." By Miles Reucroft http://www.thecricketblog.com/
"Misbah is very mature and he has been in and around cricket for a very long time.Having an older, calm, experienced player in charge of the team has been a very positive move for Pakistan, he is doing an excellent job.” - Former Pakistan Captain Majid Khan
"Misbah annoys you as a bowler at times, because we couldn’t seem to get him out for anything less than fifty the last time he was here. He is a great batsman but tends to get under your skin the way he plays. But I think that’s more credit to his game and us not being able to get him out more than anything else." - Tim Southee
"Then during the match when Kohli was out, Shahid Afridi approached me and said to me Yuvraj is in now, what are you going to do? I said I wanted to bowl a yorker straight away. But Shahid asked me to bowl a length ball so he [Yuvraj] would get out in the slips. However, I urged Shahid to let me bowl the yorker regardless of the consequences. I was prepared to be hit for a six or four, but I really wanted to bowl a yorker to him first up. Misbah was standing close by, so he also suggested to Shahid to let me bowl the yorker. So Shahid agreed and said alright bowl the yorker. In the end, by the grace of God, I was able to do what I had said a couple of days before the match. I bowled him out on the first ball – it was definitely a joyous moment." - Wahab Riaz
"Misbah bhai has pushed me a lot. I have played under him under Faisalabad and SNGPL. He’s always behaved very well as captain and I always thank him for whatever opportunities I’ve been given such as touring and league cricket - his backing has helped me a great deal along the way. He even says that I am his favourite bowler!" - Asad Ali
"So often, the best innings are not about the strokes a batsman plays, but those he does not. They are about discipline. About concentration. About denial. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq defied England on a day when the bowlers, led by Stuart Broad, were on top. Misbah is the spine of the Pakistan team. Without him their batting would appear fragile and, in both Tests so far, he has provided resistance at a time when it appeared England's bowlers could take the initiative. " - George Dobell in Abu Dhabi January 25, 2012
Overall, I thought it would be much closer than it has been. I didn't appreciate how far Pakistan had come since the spot-fixing crisis. Under Misbah-ul-Haq they have made a fresh start and I was very impressed by them. They have gone from a side that had questions over their integrity to probably the most professional Pakistan team I have ever seen. The impressive thing about Misbah is how calm he is. He is an authoritative figure, who I don't expect takes fools gladly. He and coach Mohsin Khan clearly have a good relationship and they seem to be doing the right things.By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent in Dubai
"All of a sudden, things are looking extremely favourable for Pakistan cricket. There are some key reasons behind this, both direct and indirect, but the most important factor is effective leadership." - Saad Shafqat from Dawn and ESPN cricinfo
"One of the standard strategic lessons taught in any business school is that great success can come from converting a crisis into an opportunity. Misbah, an educated man with an MBA, appears to have absorbed this lesson well." - Saad Shafqat from Dawn and ESPN cricinfo
"Misbah ul-Haq was put in charge of spring-cleaning the house – not that he got down on his knees himself to do the scrubbing. As languid and lordly as Inzamam ul-Haq, he has been a captain in domestic cricket for more than 10 years, and here he outfoxed his opposite number Andrew Strauss." - Scyld Berry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)