Real challenge is playing well on away tours: Misbah

The skipper, the centre of well-deserved praise, says the team now focusing on proving themselves outside Pakistan.

DUBAI: Pakistan test team captain Misbahul Haq is on a high after his team’s spectacular 3-0 whitewash of England, but the man has a calm head on his shoulders and an eye on the future.

Many have said that Pakistan’s phenomenal success owes to the UAE’s close-to-home conditions and Misbah realises the challenge of playing well on away tours.

“That’s another challenge, this team loves challenges and that challenge is in our minds and everybody is just focusing to prove themselves outside Pakistan, so we are looking forward. If we just go to South Africa and Australia, we just want to do well there.”

Misbah, a veteran at 37, said the current team is a blend of youth and experience.

“Only time will tell what you can achieve or what you can do. We just want to do well and that’s what we are aiming for and youngsters are coming up, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez are doing well and seniors are supporting them,” said Misbah.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja agrees. “We have got to beat South Africa and Australia on their grounds and I am sure this team can achieve that.”

He showered huge praise on the players. “The current players have become the latest pin-up boys of world cricket,” Raja told AFP. “It’s a dramatic turn-around for Pakistan and hats off to their discipline, consistency and distinction.

But, he says, this is just the beginning to a glorious end. “I would still call it work in progress, the beginning of something special,” said Raja.

Pakistan’s resurgence is not only surprising but praiseworthy as they have not lost a Test series, winning nine of the 15 Tests, with one defeat and five draws – all under Misbah.

Moreover, there have been no problems off the field, something which has consistently derailed Pakistan’s on-field progress.

“He (Misbah) has been a tremendous leader of a young and transformed team,” said former Pakistan captain and coach Waqar. “His cool and calming influence is good for the team and credit to the management for keeping discipline in the team,” said Waqar, who quit as coach in September last year after developing health problems.

The victory, Misbah believes, will help Pakistan move on from the many controversies that Pakistan cricket has been embroiled, particularly the spot-fixing scandal of 2010, which ended in lengthy bans and ultimately jail terms for three of its key players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

“It’s a wonderful win but the most important thing in any sport or life is that whatever you achieve it goes in the past. If you are stuck with it you can’t move ahead and improve,” said Misbah.

Misbah also believes the win will make the world sit up and take notice of a team that has quietly, on the side, worked hard to regain lost pride. “We have been ignored for quite some time, but our performance will help us get better scheduling and respect,” said Misbah.

The other side

The dejection is now in England captain Andrew Strauss’ tone. Strauss, under whom England had not lost a Test series since their 1-0 defeat in the Caribbean in February 2009, said that analysis of the team's defeat should follow.

“It’s very important we debrief this tour very thoroughly, like we do on any tour and learn some lessons and don’t walk away if that’s staring at us in the face. But at the same time it’s not all doom and gloom, you don’t become a bad side overnight,” Strauss said.

Strauss admitted that playing spinners on turning pitches was a different challenge but England also have tours to Sri Lanka (April) and India (November) this year and he hoped that the batsmen learn fast.

“I have not been involved in any series where so many of our batsmen have had hard times as this one. We have all got some questions to answer individually, some soul searching and thoughts to put into on how we can do things better going forward,” he said.

“If you are a good enough player, you find a way. It may take you a week or so finding a way you don’t make the same mistakes again. We haven’t been good enough or quick enough to adapting our game, that’s for sure,” Strauss said.

Pakistan and England will now play a four-match one-day series, starting with the first in Abu Dhabi on February 13. That will be followed by three Twenty20 internationals.