Misbah-ul-Haq hits back at Ian Chappell's criticism

Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq was clearly miffed with the comments made by former Australia cricket Ian Chappell on the Pakistani team. In his recent column for cricket.com.au, Misbah hit back at the dark words of Chappell. Ian Chappell had mocked the poor performances by Pakistan down under in Test cricket. They were drubbed 0-3 by the Aussies recently.

Chappell had cited that Pakistan had lost their last 12 Tests on Australian soil. He opined that if they do not improve, then they should not tour Australia at all. “Pakistan have now lost 12 Test matches on the trot in Australia, and somebody’s got to give them a kick up the bum. Cricket Australia have got to start saying ‘listen if things don’t improve we will stop with the invites’. You can’t continue to [play poor] cricket. You can’t bowl poorly, have conservative field placings and field sloppily and expect to play decent cricket in Australia,” he had quoted.

Hitting back at the harsh comments, Misbah said that such comments from a player of Chappell’s stature is not expected. He rightly pointed out that the same words could well be applicable to the Australian team who have had a poor run in the subcontinent. They have faced whitewashes at the hands of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India in the recent past in Tests in Asia. They have lost their last 9 Tests in a row in Asian subcontinent.

“The comments do not make any sense or suit a cricketer of his stature. Australia themselves have been on the losing side in the recent away tours. They were clean swept by a Sri Lanka side that did not have Mahela Jayawardena or Kumar Sangakkara and some of their players didn’t even have 10 Tests to their names,” wrote Misbah-ul-Haq.

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“Then Australia lost the one-day international series 0-5 in South Africa. In the recent past they have been whitewashed by us in the UAE and in India. If we apply Chappell’s comments to Australia, does that mean if they continue to get whitewashed on the subcontinent on a regular basis then they should also not travel there? And if Australia does not travel to Asia or the Asian teams do no travel to Australia then how are they going to improve?” he added further.

After the poor run in Tests in New Zealand and Australia, Misbah himself has been under the scanner. There have been news about him being under the pressure to retire from Test cricket. However, the veteran said that his current focus is on the PSL. Once the PSL is completed, he will decide whether he would like to continue to play for Pakistan or not.

“I want to spend some time at home and then play in the PSL. I will then analyse how much passion for cricket I have left in me and whether I can play on… The PSL will be important for me in making a decision on my international future,” conceded Misbah Ul Haq.