Misbah Ul Haq has been a wall of solidity for the Pakistani test side. Misbah has been Pakistan’s most successful test captain, but the best part about his captaincy has been that he has led from the front and by example. However, Misbah, who is 41, has been considering retirement since the last few months. Misbah wanted to call it quits after the test series against arch rivals India in UAE in December this year. However, with political tensions rising between the two nations, the chances of the series occurring look minimal.
The PCB recently asked Misbah to reconsider his retirement. As per sources, the board officials want Misbah to continue as the test skipper for another year. The main reason behind it is that the officials feel that a person of Misbah’s caliber is needed to guide the side during the tours of England and Australia next year.
“We have told him to delay his retirement for a year if he is thinking on those lines,” Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, told in Lahore. “We feel his presence as captain and senior player will be invaluable to the team for the Test tours to England and Australia next year.”
Misbah himself had said that he wanted to retire soon, but would surely consider his decision. “I have been considering so many factors as it’s a very hard decision, in fact one of the toughest ones to take,” Misbah had said. “So in the next one-and-half months I will be analysing myself as to how far I can go. I will see how much I can contribute in for the team, I will see if my passion remains the same or I start losing interest in the game. Sometimes it’s not about fitness, it’s about how much interest you have in the game and I don’t want to be a liability. So whatever the decision you will know soon,” said Misbah.