Misbah vows to fight on after Australia defeat
Pakistan went down by five wickets in the second day-night international in Dubai on Friday, handing Australia an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The defeat added further pressure on the embattled Pakistan captain as former greats demanded Misbah be sacked.
The Pakistan Cricket Board appointed Misbah as one-day captain until the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in February-March next year.
Asked if he was thinking of standing down, Misbah said: "I have not thought about the captaincy. I will fight on."
Pakistan were bowled out for 215 after having been well set for a 250-plus total as they lost their last nine wickets for just 89 runs.
Pakistan openers Sarfraz Ahmed (65) and Ahmed Shahzad (61) had put them on a solid footing of 126 runs for the first wicket.
Under performing Misbah was run out in the 34th over for 15 on Friday after getting out for a first-ball duck in Pakistan's 93-run defeat in the first match in Sharjah on Tuesday.
"The batting has let us down and we need to put things right before the World Cup - if we don't, then it's trouble," said Misbah.
"You really want to improve your performance from game to game and the Test matches are just around the corner. We need to improve our batting and if we are playing against a top side then we need to put a good total on the board, otherwise you don't have any chance."
Misbah hopes his team can win the final one-dayer in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
"It's an important game for us. We need to go into the Tests with a win and that will lift our confidence," said Misbah.
A two Test series follows the one-day series, with the first match in Dubai (October 22-26) and the second in Abu Dhabi (October 30-November 3).
COMMENTS (5)
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too little too late, Go Misbah Go
How about we stop playing international cricket and bad mouthing the the big-3 until we get our act together. Where is Mr. Najam Sethi and his endless wisdom?
Will the nation like the idea of not showing up for the world cup until we feel we have a team that is worthy of representing the country?
Why do countries with similar (or even smaller) sized economies with comparable budget for sports such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are doing better than us?
We desperately need accountability on the part of management and selectors and talent and pride on the part of players. Don't just replace players...hold the selectors accountable and even penalize them if need be. Need I say "where there is a will. there is a way".
Misbah. A third rate batsman with a fourth rate batting technique. Absolutely deplorabel footwork if any. Should have been sacked 13 years ago after Morocco ODI series. Has no confidence against even medium pace. Shines rarely, and that too by chance and against 2nd rate teams. Cannot understand how he has managed to be in the Pakistan team in any type T20, ODI or Test. Only answer can be nepotism or worse in BCCP. No college team will have him as a Batsman.
And Captainship... My God. What a travesty.
Will Misbah, and if not him, the octogenaran plenopotentiary, Shahryar Khan Sahab please try to understand that there is absolutely nothing that the poor men in the team can do. They are the best outcome of a rotten development system and the rare individual performance, gutsy as it may be, only confirms that malaise. Can the PCB waalahs just read the many excellent analysis of how the German soccer team won the world cup to see how the system triumphed. Perhaps, they can then lay the foundations of such a long lived, reliable and sustainable system that produces many very good cricketers.
I'll say it again.......stop showing cricket on TV.......unless it's our girls team playing, because they play cricket and win matches.