Pakistan head coach Misbah-Ul-Haq has lashed out at his critics for questioning the state Pakistan cricket team after a successful tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Misbah said that he does not care about criticism based on results as that is beyond his hands. He also said that the question over the future does not bother him one bit.
”I don’t care about them and their criticism. We can only work and try hard. The bottom line is that results are not in our hands. As the head coach, I have not thought about my future and will not start doing that now either,” Misbah said in a virtual press conference.
Speaking of the tours to the African nations, Misbah expressed satisfaction over consistent performances from players and series wins one after another. He commended the trio of Fawad Alam, Azhar Ali and Hasan Ali for putting their hands up and capitalizing on opportunities with hundreds and five-wicket hauls.
“We had great results in both series. Winning in different and tough conditions was important for the team. The openers performed well during the Test series against Zimbabwe. Fawad and Azhar Ali also made centuries. We performed better in the field as well. Hasan Ali performed extraordinarily. We would like to continue this momentum in England,” he said.
However, he pointed out that the middle order in the ODIs and T20Is have appeared to be a concerning factor for which the team needs to find a solution immediately.
“We are just concerned about our middle-order in white-ball cricket. We have to do something in that regard,” Misbah added.
Misbah set his goal on the twin series against England after a successful tour of Africa for which he said the focus will be just about getting the preparation right for the ICC World T20. Hence, only players who stand a chance in playing the World T20 will be taken on the tour of England unlike the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe where they carried a jumbo squad due to Covid-19.
“Due to the exceptional conditions because of Covid-19 we have been able to take extended squads and have a close look at the available talent. But on the coming tour to England we will only pick those players who have a chance of playing in the World T20 Cup this year,” he said.
Misbah was holding two responsibilities for the Pakistan team— of a chief selector and the head coach. He walked away from the selection table and carried on with coaching the men in green from the close quarters.