Misbah-ul-Haq: a late bloomer who led Pakistan with calm

The story of Misbah-ul-Haq is that of a late bloomer. He made his Test debut in 2001, but it took him several years to secure his place in the side. When he became Pakistan’s Test captain in his late thirties, the news agency Reuters described his appointment as a stop-gap arrangement by the board³. Yet the same captain led the team for seven years. As captain, he played 56 Tests and scored 4,214 runs at an average of 51.39¹. His calm temperament, steady batting and ability to hold the team together in difficult times give him a distinct place in the history of Pakistan cricket.

Early life and start of cricket career

Misbah-ul-Haq was born on 28 May 1974 in Mianwali, Punjab. He is a right-handed batsman. In domestic cricket, he played for Sargodha, Faisalabad and Sui Northern Gas².

His Test career began against New Zealand in Auckland on 8 March 2001, where he scored 28 in the first innings. He played his first One-Day International, also against New Zealand, in Lahore on 27 April 2002¹. In the early years, he was in and out of the team and could not win a permanent place.

A fresh start: 2007

The real turning point of Misbah’s career was the first ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007. In that tournament, innings of 53 against India in Durban and 66 not out against Australia in Johannesburg made him stand out¹. Pakistan reached the final of the tournament and finished as runners-up. Two years later, in 2009, he was also part of the Pakistan team that won the World Twenty20².

Later that year, on the tour of India, he also made his mark in Test cricket. He scored his first two Test centuries: 161 not out at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on 30 November 2007, and 133 not out in Bangalore on 8 December. His 161 not out remains his highest Test score¹.

The years as captain

In 2010, Misbah-ul-Haq became captain of Pakistan’s Test team and held the post until 2017. During this period, Pakistan played most of their home series in the United Arab Emirates, and Misbah made Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah a second home for the team. Eight of his ten Test centuries came during his captaincy¹.

His 135 against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on 31 December 2013 is his highest score as captain. But the most remembered match is the Test against Australia that began in Abu Dhabi on 30 October 2014. In the first innings, he scored 101 off 168 balls, and in the second he batted briskly to remain not out on 101. He thus scored a century in both innings of the same Test. Just ten days later, on 9 November 2014, he scored 102 not out against New Zealand, again in Abu Dhabi¹.

In July 2016, his 114 off 199 balls against England at the historic Lord’s ground proved to be his last Test century. His last Test began against West Indies in Roseau, Dominica, on 10 May 2017. Younis Khan also played his last Test in the same match¹.

In One-Day cricket too, he captained in 87 matches from 2008 to 2015, scoring 3,003 runs at an average of 44.82. Under his captaincy, Pakistan won the 2012 Asia Cup, and he also led the team at the 2015 World Cup². His last ODI was against Australia in Adelaide on 20 March 2015¹.

Statistics

Source: ESPNcricinfo Statsguru¹. The figures are for his international career.

Impact and legacy

Misbah-ul-Haq’s biggest hallmark was his composure. In One-Day cricket, he scored 42 fifties but no century; his highest score was 96 not out. These figures reflect his style: he often came to the crease when the team was in trouble, and his first aim was to steady the innings. Critics gave him the nickname “Tuk Tuk”, after the slow-moving auto-rickshaw, for this cautious approach⁴. But when needed, he also knew how to play big shots; his 81 sixes in Test cricket are proof of that¹.

His biggest achievement as captain was that he gave discipline and confidence to a team that for years was forced to play its home series outside its own country. He spoke little on the field, but his calm manner spread calm through the whole dressing room. Together with Younis Khan, he held Pakistan’s middle order together for several years, and the two leaving in the same match became a symbol of the end of an era. Misbah-ul-Haq’s story also shows that a chance that comes late in a sporting career can still turn into great success, if the player does not lose patience.