Published: Mar 22, 2015, 02:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 22, 2015, 08:05 PM (IST)
Misbah-ul-Haq walked into sunset as Pakistan crashed out of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. It was a tame end to a One-Day International (ODI) career that blossomed in its second coming. In yet another anticlimactic exit, the cruelty of sport was highlighted once again. Misbah, as is his wont, left without a fuss, except for mild regret about the ODI hundred that eluded him over 162 matches. Ankur Dhawan believes Misbah was a shining light in the high decibel din of Pakistan cricket and his true worth will be realised only in his absence.
Those who are catapulted to power generally misuse it: Misbah never hankered for position, he, merely accepted it as an obligation. Pakistan finally had a captain whose self-esteem didn’t hinge on hanging on to the job. READ: Shahid Afridi retirement: ‘Boom Boom’s’ final innings summed up his career
Pakistan cricket mirrors the country’s undulating condition. It is a microcosm of the state of affairs in the strife-torn nation. Pakistan cricket has never known stability, yet Misbah symbolized a period in the nation’s cricket history devoid of much controversy, an anomaly that ought to be appreciated. The chaos in Pakistan cricket had a sense of order about it during Misbah’s reign. READ: Misbah-ul-Haq advises young players to work hard to meet international standards
The modus operandi was measured both on and off the field, hardly giving much away in terms of body language. If leadership was a tangible, his would have been painted in the colour grey. A neutral countenance was associated with him on the field, he radiated a cold indifference, in hardship or good times. READ: Michael Clarke lauds Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq over illustrious career
Considering how, agenda based factionalism had frequently led to the demise of greater players and captains previously, the fact that Misbah remained at the helm of affairs for four years is a tribute to the man’s man-management skills. Coaches came like the wind, and like the wind, they were gone, but Misbah remained a constant. Individualism and a sense of security were not mutually exclusive either, during Misbah’s tenure as skipper. At least on the face of it, the Pakistan cricket team was a cohesive unit. READ: Australia vs Pakistan, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 quarter-final: Misbah-ul-Haq blames poor batting for six-wicket defeat
However, results didn’t always fructify. Misbah was in charge of a team which was progressively retreating. A moth-eaten adage — the captain goes down with the ship — eloquently describes the enormity of the task of captaining one of the weakest Pakistan sides in history. Pakistan’s exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 could have been envisaged from the time their squad was announced. Misbah was discernibly on his last crutches, the 40 year old warhorse drooping under the burden of a mediocre ODI side that somehow managed to stay afloat in the tournament till the quarter-final. Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq bid adieu to ODI cricket: Twitter reactions
Mediocrity has, in fact, been the norm in Pakistan cricket for a while now. Misbah’s problems were compounded when he was deprived of the services of the world’s best off-spinner; Saeed Ajmal had got the green signal from the International Cricket Council (ICC), but the team management’s request to have the talismanic bowler on board as a backup for Mohammad Irfan fell on deaf ears in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Handicapped thus, it was still commendable that he kept his wits about him even in the face of scathing and utterly unfair criticism by former players. He was persistently attacked by former colleagues, including Shoaib Akhtar, for a “selfish” batting approach during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. It is almost laughable that he was accused of amassing ‘self
Serving’ half centuries and pander to his own vanity, while being unable to galvanise his troops and turn around Pakistan’s dwindling fortunes in ODI cricket. READ: Misbah-ul-Haq regrets not being able to score ton in final ODI
The cynics failed to grasp the simple fact that Misbah wasn’t god, He wasn’t even a tactical genius, he knew his limitations and worked within the parameters of his strengths. He could not have scored Umar Akmal’s runs or taken his catches for him, but he did his own. READ: Misbah and Afridi denied glorious ending due to typical errors
He couldn’t have hidden his side’s glaring infirmities; yet, he tried, and succeeded on occasions. Despite the lack of resources and a dearth of talent seeping through the ranks, Misbah managed to keep his team relevant, even competitive for most part. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Top 10 Leading Run-Scorers
One wonders what he might have achieved with a better set of players, but then again, he may not have been the need of the hour in that case. As things stood, Misbah was the best thing that could have happened to a team that would have struggled to stay on its feet sans Misbah’s unmatched contribution as a leader. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Top 10 Leading Wicket-Takers
(AnkurDhawan is a reporter with CricketCountry. Heavily influenced by dystopian novels, he naturally has about 59 conspiracy theories for every moment in the game of cricket. On finding a direct link between his head and the tip of his fingers, he also writes about it)
