Multiple reasons for Misbah to celebrate

Faisalabad captain pleased with Super-Eight T20 Cup triumph.

KARACHI: Faisalabad Wolves captain Misbahul Haq had more than just one reason to celebrate after not only leading his side to victory in the Faysal Bank Super-Eight T20 Cup but also finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer.

Faisalabad beat defending champions Sialkot Stallions by 36 runs in the final on Sunday, which came as a personal relief to Pakistan’s Test and One-Day International captain who has long been criticised over his defensive style of captaincy and approach to batting.

Misbah, dropped from the Twenty20 format over the same reason, totalled 206 runs in five matches at a phenomenal average of 140.13 and silenced those who have questioned his approach on the field.

“My approach to play according to the team’s requirement was misunderstood as my weakness,” said Misbah. “But I will continue to play like this, whether or not I achieve success.”

Over his domestic side’s win over Sialkot, Misbah said the team’s hard work paid off and players deserved credit. “The way the players have been performing over the years, they deserved the title. We played in a number of finals but didn’t make it. But this time, I knew something special is coming and everything we did here turned to gold.

“We first beat Karachi [Dolphins] and later on thumped the top side [Lahore Lions] in the semi-final, that boosted the team’s confidence.”

In the T20 Cup final, Asif Ali hit a quickfire 70 off just 49 deliveries, while Misbah contributed a 25-ball 38 as Faisalabad registered a competitive 158 for three on the board after being reduced to 16 for two.

Pressure then got the better of Stallions skipper Shoaib Malik as shuffling the batting order backfired and the former winners were bowled out for 122 in the final over. Malik top-scored with 40 with Faisalabad bowlers Asad Ali and Ehsan Adil chipping in with three wickets apiece.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2013.