Reports: Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq disappointed by the attitude of three senior players

Misbah-ul-Haq’s tryst as Pakistan coach and chief selector did not start in the manner in which he would’ve liked. In what was supposed to be Pakistan’s fairytale homecoming, the No.1 T20I side was humbled 0-3 in their own den. In fact, matters became worse in the last fixture that Sri Lanka, despite resting five of its main players, went on to complete a historic whitewash.

Since that loss, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Misbah, and the entire team have been facing widespread criticism with fans calling for the head of the captain. Thing isn’t hunky-dory for Misbah too. The former skipper and current coach cum selector have been left disappointed by the attitude of some of the senior players who shy away from training, lack discipline and don’t adhere to professional standards.

Misbah-ul-Haq unhappy that some players are just too relaxed

“What has disturbed Misbah the most in his first assignment as head coach and the chief selector is the reluctance of some players to follow the directions of the management and proper training to keep high fitness standards. He is unhappy that some players are just too relaxed and take training lightly and are not working on improving their cricket discipline. He has also not been encouraged by the attitude of captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed whom he feels shies away from taking responsibility when the chips are down,” a source said as quoted by News 18.

Another source added that Misbah was surprised by the behavior of three senior players – Haris Sohail, Imad Wasim, and Wahab Riaz while also adding that Misbah felt that Micky Arthur’s decision to leave out Riaz in the 2017 Champions Trophy was understandable.

“Several times he felt they were making excuses to shy away from training and proper nets. He got the feeling they had some sort of excuse ready to go easy on their training. Batsman, Haris Sohail has developed a painful habit of making excuses for having some niggling problem or pain when asked to push himself in training. Another problem which confronts Misbah is that most of the players don’t appear to have the cricket discipline to follow and execute plans on the field which are discussed in the dressing room.”

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