LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistan’s Test Cricket Team Captain Misbah-ul-Haq said on Thursday that his participation and performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) would decide his future in the game.
“My participation in PSL will help me to decide to stay or quit the game as age factor is not a problem with me and as long as I am fit I enjoy playing cricket,” he was talking to media after inaugurating a sports shop in Lahore.
Misbah said his fitness was of high level but pointed out his recent poor performance and bowed to come up with improved performance in the PSL.
To a question, he said the tour of New Zealand and Australia were tough challenges for the team which failed during the twin tours.
“The team is under fire (criticism) due to its bad performance and it is quite unfortunate that we flopped during these tours and I feel sorry for that,” Misbah said.
Misbah-ul-Haq urged the former test cricketers not to criticize the team for the sake of criticism and they should have shown positive attitude and put up suggestions for improving the performance of the team in the larger interest of Pakistan cricket.
The Pakistan’s Test Tem Captain praised the decision of Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shaharyar M khan for holding a round table conference to have to brain storming session for the improvement of Pakistan cricket and lifting the performance of the national team.
While answering a question, he said PCB had the authority to decide his substitute as captain and it was also the prerogative of the PCB to change the captains of the test and one day teams in order to improve their performance.
When asked to comment on the proposal being initiated to appoint Sarfraz Ahmad the captain of all the three formats of the game Misbah said “what can I say in this regard, PCB has the authority to decide”.
The Pakistan captain said the country was rich in cricket talent and what was needed proper training and grooming of the players to help them meet the international standard of the game.
“Only high profile training programmes can help them to become refined cricketers if they are trained at the right age by the right experts,” he asserted.
“Whatever I feel like I say, I say everything by my heart not being under pressure, it is because of our bad performance that people are talking against me, they have to wait for six long years to do so as our past performance did not let them to do so,” he said.
“I have not yet met with the Chairman PCB, I am going to UAE and I will be having a detailed meeting with him there.”
Misbah further said his team was the defending champion of PSL and now with the efforts to hold the final in Lahore, it would be his utmost desire to see his team qualifying for the final.
