Misbah-ul-Haq set to call time on Pakistan Test career
Saturday 3 October 2015 11:17, UK
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has hinted he may quit Test cricket at the end of the current series against England.
The middle-order batsman has already retired from Twenty20 and stepped down from ODIs after a six-wicket defeat to Australia in the quarter-finals of this year's World Cup.
"I have not yet taken the final decision about it (retiring), but I am thinking about it," the 41-year-old told reporters on Friday.
The delay in India's confirmation for its scheduled series against Pakistan in December is one of the reasons Misbah is contemplating calling time on his Test career as, if the series did not go ahead, his next first-class assignment would not be until July of next year.
"This is the point on which I am thinking too, I have to see how I will keep myself ready for the next series because there's not much domestic cricket during this period," Misbah said.
Pakistan beat England 3-0 in their 2012 Test series in the UAE but Alistair Cook's team will be high on confidence after their 3-2 Ashes victory this summer.
"It's not correct to create a perception about our past victory against them," Misbah said."England is coming on the back of some very good recent performances at home against Australia and they will not be an easy opponent."
Misbah, who scored Test cricket's fastest century against Australia in the UAE last year, forms part of a strong middle order that also includes Azhar Ali, Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq, who all played in the 2012 victory over England.
Cook's side looked heavily to spin in the last series and without Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, will be relying on Moeen Ali's off-spin to frighten Pakistan's batsmen on the slow wickets in the UAE - although Adil Rashid and Samit Patel are also in the squad.
"Last time their spin bowling was quite experienced and Swann was world's number one bowler in Test cricket, but now they have Moeen Ali," Misbah said.
Pakistan are without an experienced spinner themselves, but Misbah believes that Yasir Shah and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar can step up to torment England in the absence of Saeed Ajmal.
"Yasir and Zulfiqar have given good performances and they did well against Sri Lanka," he said. "I hope they won't let us down in the absence of Saeed Ajmal and will do well."
