Is it time for Misbah to go?
The recent ODI series win over India made it seven out of nine series wins for Pakistan under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy.
Having taken over the Test side in tough times, right after the spot-fixing scandal in 2010, and the ODI side after Shahid Afridi stepped aside, Misbah has provided much-needed stability to what was an erratic Pakistan side, to say the least.
Misbah has played in 34 ODI matches as captain, leading Pakistan to wins in 21 of them. But in how many of them has he put up match winning performances? The last time he scored a half-century was in Sri Lanka in 2012.
While he may provide stability and hold loss of wickets from one end, his scoring rate and inability to finish matches has led to criticism from experts and fans alike. With a number of young players being inducted in the squad for India, is it time some of them were brought into the side and given the opportunity to settle before the World Cup squad starts taking shape?
With his most recent figures of 16, 2 and 39 in India, is it time he makes way for someone else in the squad?
And if he is to go, will Pakistan suffer a lack of experience in its middle order?
Misbah will be 41 at the 2015 World Cup. Is it time to start thinking about a successor and let the new captain settle down and build the team?
Given that the new captain manages to stay in the position until 2015, the upcoming Champions Trophy in England later this year will be a good opportunity to test the new leadership.
Keeping that in mind, should the Pakistan Cricket Board disturb what seems to be a winning and working combination or stick with it until it lasts?
Comments posted by Iqbal Hadi Zaidi
Misbah must not only be removed from captaincy but banned from playing cricket in addition to some monetary fine if not putting him behind the bars. What did he do as captain cum batsman in the 3 ODIs he has played against India? Why could he not score in Delhi where we lost the match and could not achieve white-wash? How the hell did he say that we will win the last match too when he is nothing more than a failed batsman. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait
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