Misbah-ul-haq’s test match career still hands in uncertainty as he is left out of the first test in New Zealand. The Pakistani test team stand-in captain for three match series, Mohammad Yousuf, had called Misbah as a replacement for the injured Younis Khan. Last month, in October, Misbah was dropped from both the test squad and the ODI squad of Pakistan. The team selectors believe that he needs to regain his cricket form and should play some more domestic cricket matches.
The stand-in captain demanded for Misbah in hopes of boosting up the team’s moral after the regular captain Younnus Khan opted out of the New Zealand series. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ejaz Butt and the team’s Chief selector Iqbal Qasim met on Friday, 20th November 2009 at Lahore to decide on the matter and stated that currently there was no need to send a replacement for Younnus. They further decided to review the first match of the series and would retort after viewing the team’s performance.
Pakistan is to start the 3-match test series against New Zealand on November 24, 2009. Having played for Pakistan during his cricket career, Qasim reported to the media, “We have already sent 17 players to New Zealand and even if we decide to send Misbah he would not be able to reach there in time for the first Test because of visa and other travel formalities, so we have decided to wait and see how things go in the first Test and feel if there is a necessity to send a replacement for Younus then we will consider sending Misbah.”
Misbah was watched over his performance in all three forms of cricket, one-day internationals, test matches and T20s since the last year. His form seems to be on a downhill as compared to that in 2007. In 2007, Misbah had a dominating career when he played sensationally well at domestic front and also at the World Twenty20 in South Africa. Misbah is expected to return to the team for the second test. Although having agreed to allow Misbah to play for the first test, Butt later changed his mind owing to the selectors’ disagreement. The selectors were unhappy over Misbah’s decision to play league matches in Bangladesh halfway through a premier domestic tournament.
Also Rana Naved and Abdul Razzaq opting for touring Bangladesh during the Quaid-e-Azam trophy had earned them a place in the bad books of the selectors. Meanwhile, injured played Shoaib Akhtar is still undergoing recovery from his laid-back form and Butt has reported that he will again re-admit him to the squad provided he improves his form. He is currently playing for the domestic team in Pakistan. Mohammad Yousuf, a senior batsman of the team, has been named the stand-in captain for the team and will have to perform well at the Quaid-e-Azam trophy to get selected for the team to tour Australia.