Misbah garners praise after series win

PCB chief, former players credit captain for team’s winning run.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf has praised Misbahul Haq’s captaincy after he led the team to a 2-0 series win over Bangladesh and has declared that the captain enjoyed complete confidence of the board.

Ashraf said that he had already made it clear to the players that Misbah is the absolute authority once the team enters the ground.

‘Misbah has worked wonders’

Meanwhile, former player Haroon Rashid was also fulsome in his praise of Misbah’s leadership. Rashid believed that the team had their captain to thank for the excellent run they have enjoyed recently.

“Misbah has made a big contribution towards the team’s success,” Rashid told The Express Tribune. “His calm approach has worked wonders. He has senior campaigners playing with him, as well as youngsters, and he’s handled every individual accordingly.”

However, Rashid stressed the need for preparing a future captain who could take over after Misbah. “It’s important to prepare someone for the captaincy,” he said. “Mohammad Hafeez can be a good choice but it remains to be seen whether he could maintain his form with the added pressure of captaincy.”

‘England series is real test’

Meanwhile, former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir also lauded Misbah on leading Pakistan to another series victory but said that the series against England will be his real test.

“The team has gelled well under Misbah but many of the wins have come against weak opposition,” he said. “The real test will be against England and hopefully the team will continue its winning run against them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2011.