Is Misbah-ul-Haq the ideal choice for leading Pakistan in ODI cricket?

Cricket in Pakistan has seen many ups and downs over the last decade and there are numerous reasons behind it. One of the issues is leading the national side, which has never been easy for any captain, barring Imran Khan, who guided the team to a historic victory in the 1992 World Cup.

Even Younis Khan, who lifted the Twenty20 World Cup trophy in 2009, was unable to keep the team together for a long time and had to quit his job at the end of the day.

However, one man, Misbah, did a fabulous job against all odds and he is currently leading Pakistan in ODI and Test cricket. His performances in the longest version of the game have been phenomenal, as he has scored runs with consistency and won matches as well.

On the other hand, the veteran cricketer has done well as the team’s skipper in limited over cricket, but many people doubt his credentials as a batsman in the shorter formats. This is why the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) handed over the T-20 leadership to all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who drew his first ever series 1-1 with Sri Lanka.

Despite this move by the PCB, critics believe that justice has not been done and Misbah should have been sacked from the ODI captaincy as well. Although he has managed to make a solid combination, his own performances have been questioned.

The 37-year-old batsman has scored runs with consistency in the 50-over format, but the main concern is his batting strike rate. He has often failed to keep the scoreboard ticking, leading his side to a defeat or a difficult situation. 

An example of this situation can be taken from the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2011, where Pakistan needed some quick runs, but Misbah kept on playing his defensive strokes. He was unable to rotate the strike, as the pitch was slow in nature, and as the result, the match was won by India, who eventually became the champions of the mega event.

Despite that, Misbah was given charge of the team and he did well in all three formats of the game. The criticism on his batting was a little unjust, as his record suggests that he has won more games than he lost as the leader of the side. Statistically, he is the most successful captain of Pakistan and probably will remain so for a long period of time.

However, there has to be an end to everything and it appears that Misbah should hang his boots in limited-over cricket. He cannot lead the team until the 2015 World Cup, thus the board should consider a younger player, who can serve the nation in the mega event and even beyond that.

On the other hand, Misbah should be allowed to continue leading the Test team until he is successful and he should be given a good farewell before he calls it a day, as he has made the country proud because of his resilient leadership.