Misbah hints at Test retirement after MCG debacle

42-year-old says he will decide about his future within next two to three days

Pakistan Test captain Misbahul Haq on Friday hinted he is set to retire from the longest format of the game after his team suffered an embarrassing defeat against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The 42-year-old, who is the most successful captain in the country’s Test history, has been severely criticised for his tactics after the team lost their fifth consecutive match on Australian soil.

Addressing the media after the match, Misbah said he will make a decision regarding retirement in the coming days.

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"I think I need to think about it," Misbah told reporters after the Test defeat.

The middle-order batsman, who has been in terrible form in the ongoing series, where he scored just 20 runs in four innings with the average of five runs per innings, said on his current form, he does not deserve to be in the playing eleven.

"I always believed that if I couldn't contribute to the team then it's no point staying there. I haven't decided [about Sydney] but let's see."

Misbah said he could offer no explanation for his side's dramatic collapse after trailing by 181 runs on the first innings following Australia's declaration of 624 for eight.

"Pressure sometimes does things like that. Full credit to Australia the way they batted to put us under pressure," he said.

"After scoring 443, you should not be in that position to lose a Test match on the last day and I think we should take the blame as a batting unit because the pitch was very good."