Misbah-ul-Haq took charge of the Pakistan cricket team at a time when the team were at their lowest ebb but he will also be remembered for the way how he missed out on a chance to get the ultimate glory.
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Misbah-ul-Haq was one stroke away from perhaps stopping a revolution occurring in cricket. Pakistan were on the cusp of their ultimate aim. Defeating India in the final of an ICC event. The 2007 ICC World T20 achieved in its first attempt what ODI cricket had failed to in 32 years of trying. An India vs Pakistan final was every cricket fan’s dream. In September 2007, it finally gained fruition in Johannesburg. Misbah-ul-Haq was weaving a personal story of redemption. He had first played in 2001 but was left out for five years after his poor form in 2002.
In the first game, Misbah-ul-Haq helped Pakistan get the equation down to one run off two balls. But, in a crucial moment, he failed to get the team over the line. In the final, Misbah-ul-Haq was hitting sixes at will as Pakistan was aiming to chase down 158. MS Dhoni had given the final over to an inexperienced Joginder Sharma. Misbah hit his fourth six and Pakistan needed just six runs off four balls.
But, in a cruel twist of fate, Misbah-ul-Haq mistimed the scoop and Sreesanth at short fine leg took the catch. Had that connected, Pakistan would have won the ICC World T20 2007. Pakistan’s win would have meant that the Indian Premier League might have never taken place. A win that day might have stalled MS Dhoni’s push to greatness on that day itself. Cricket’s revolution would not have taken place. But, alas, that was the tragedy of Misbah.
In a way, the World T20 final would sum up Misbah-ul-Haq’s journey in Pakistan and world cricket. In charge of a mercurial team, Misbah had to take command of the side which was at the lowest end of their fortunes. Pakistan was reeling from the spot-fixing scandal in the Lord’s Test in 2010 against England. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were all banned. Pakistan’s credibility was at an all-time low.
Slowly, Misbah sought to get that credibility back. Pakistan’s cricket team had always been plagued by factionalism and ego tussles. Now, Misbah sought to unite the team with his calm demeanor and clear mindset. The changes were slowly happening. In the end, he would transform Pakistan totally.
Misbah’s crowning glory was in 2012 when Pakistan whitewashed the-then No.1 ranked England 3-0 in Tests. Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman and the captaincy of Misbah combined to give Pakistan their greatest moment in Test history. In the UAE, Misbah ensured Pakistan’s ‘home’ away from home would become their fortress.
Another magnificent moment would be in 2014. Misbah led from the front as Pakistan achieved their first series win against Australia in 20 years. Pakistan not only beat Australia, they thrashed them. Younis Khan and Azhar Ali hit centuries but the series would be remembered for Misbah’s audacity. In the second Test, Misbah blasted five sixes and was batting like a man possessed as he smashed a century off just 56 balls. This was the joint-fastest in Tests with Sir Viv Richards.
Misbah with Sir Viv! For a guy who was known as ‘Mr. Tuk Tuk’ for his slow batting, this was definitely the best way to shatter illusions.
Misbah would continue to reserve his best for England. In 2016, he scored a century at Lord’s and helped Pakistan beat England. Yasir Shah’s 10 wickets and Amir’s strong comeback highlighted a memorable victory. However, after the match, Misbah and the entire Pakistan team did push-ups in celebration of that victory. This was an apparent jibe at critics who said that the team was not fit.
In his captaincy tenure, Misbah never lost a series against England and neither did he lose in the UAE. However, in later years, his captaincy stock plummeted. Pakistan were whitewashed in New Zealand and Australia. The losses against Australia was incredibly harsh as it extended Pakistan’s winless streak Down Under to over 20 years.
Before retiring, Misbah helped Pakistan eliminate one jinx that had haunted them for 58 years. They had come mighty close in 1988 but they could not achieve it. For over 50 years, Pakistan had not won a Test series in the West Indies. In the final Test in Dominica, only seven balls were remaining. West Indies needed to play out the remaining balls and deny Misbah a fairytale story.
Instead, West Indies No.11 Shannon Gabriel slogged wildly to legspinner Yasir Shah and was bowled. Pakistan had finally broken their Windies nightmare and Misbah got his fairytale farewell.
However, at the age of 47, Misbah is now firmly entrenched in the Pakistan Cricket Board. Initially as coach and head selector, Misbah had to surrender one of the posts after another disastrous tour of Australia. But, that does not tarnish the image of Misbah. A crisis man who helped Pakistan come out of the depths of despair. However, he was also the nearly-man who could have changed world cricket and prevented a massive revolution.
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