Misbah counting on team to give England a hard time

Test skipper remains optimistic of result ahead of crucial series

KARACHI: Pakistan Test skipper Misbahul Haq, who along with the team left for England in the early hours on Saturday, believes that the Men in Green have the ability to not only put up a determined show against the hosts but also maintain their third position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings.

“Nothing is easy in life, you need to work hard to achieve something,” said Misbah before his flight. “It won’t be easy against England but the way this team has played and performed in the last five years has made me extremely optimistic. We’re a determined team and we now have another challenge. If we can play with same the determination, we will perform well.”

Pakistan will play four Tests, five ODIs and a lone T20I in the summer tour with the first Test starting from July 14.



While the series itself is highly significant in the Test calendar, it also marks the return of fast-bowler Mohammad Amir to England, the place where he last played a Test match before being caught in a spot-fixing scandal in 2010 along with then-captain Salman Butt and fellow bowler Mohammad Asif.

And Misbah, who believes in letting bygones be bygones, opines that this presents a perfect opportunity for the youngster to make amends. “It’s a good opportunity for Amir to prove that he has changed both on and off the field,” said the 42-year-old. “He can earn back his lost respect by performing well on the pitch and carrying himself properly outside the ground. England are strong, but Amir can play a crucial role in Pakistan’s wins on the tour.”



In addition to relying on the threat posed by Amir and the spinners, the skipper is also hoping that his batsmen will adjust well to the difficult English conditions.

“Bowling has been a strong point for Pakistan even in the UAE. Leg-spinners have always been able to perform well in England whether it is Danish Kaneria, Shane Warne or Mushtaq Ahmad because they don’t need much support from the pitch. Our pace attack will be important but Yasir can damage England and they know it. Similarly, the batsmen’s role will be important because we’ll need a good total to win a match,” he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2016.

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