Cricket: Misbah declines county offer for national duty

Misbah took charge of the one-day and Twenty20 teams in 2011 following the removal of Shahid Afridi.

KARACHI: Pakistan's Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq said Monday he had turned down an offer from English county Worcestershire as it would have meant missing duties with the national side.

Misbah, who turns 39 next month, has been leading Pakistan after reviving his career in the aftermath of the spot-fixing saga of 2010, which saw then-captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer banned and jailed.

"It was a good two-year offer with an extension of another year from Worcestershire but since the contract required me to skip the national duties I turned it down," Misbah told AFP.

Misbah also took charge of the one-day and Twenty20 teams in 2011 following the removal of Shahid Afridi who developed differences with the then set-up of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

He was replaced by Mohammad Hafeez as Twenty20 captain in May last year.

Misbah said although playing county cricket would have been a good experience, he preferred national duty.

"It gives a cricketer a good experience of English conditions but I think as the captain of the team I have a lot of responsibility and leading the team is my first priority," he said.

Pakistan will feature in the eight-nation Champions Trophy in England in June where they are placed in Group B along with arch-rivals India, South Africa and the West Indies.

Defending champions Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand form group A.