Misbah gets Ramiz Raja’s backing – Cricket News Update
Despite Pakistan slumping to back-to-back ODI series defeats since the Asia Cup win in March, former Pakistan skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ramiz-Hasan-Raja-c83872, on Monday backed incumbent Misbah-ul-Haq to continue leading the Men in Green in the fifty-over format of the game for a foreseeable time.
Misbah’s captaincy as well as his personal ODI form has been under scrutiny since Pakistan lost the three-ODI series against Australia 2-1, in the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033. Many former cricketers and pundits have been suggesting the middle-order batsman to quit one-day cricket.
But Raja, the cricketer turned commentator, urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the national selectors to keep faith in Misbah and retain him as One Day International skipper.
"I’d http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 for the foreseeable future as captain of the one day team,” said Raja in an interview with Pakpassion. “I think Misbah has done a wonderful job, and Pakistan cricket does not need such jolts, as would occur if he was removed from captaining the one day team," he added further.
Misbah was appointed as Pakistan’s ODI skipper in June last year, following http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482’s sacking as the limited-overs skipper in the aftermath of his media outburst. To date he has led Pakistan in 30 ODIs, winning 19 and losing 11.
Notwithstanding the back-to-back ODI series losses to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, Misbah still has a win percentage of 66.33 percent in this format of the game.
Raja insisted that considering his impressive record as the ODI skipper, the middle-order batsman is still the right man to lead the side in fifty-over format.
"Misbah brought the team together after a very difficult phase for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 cricket and he brings to the fore a lot of calmness,” said the 50-year-old former Pakistan batsman, who played 57 Tests and 198 ODIs for his country.
“Also, I think, looking at the batting talent available to Pakistan, Misbah still fits into the team. Pakistan has not found anybody who is very talented in the middle order that can replace Misbah-ul-Haq," he added further.
The former Pakistan skipper agreed that some of Misbah’s captaincy tactics are questionable, however he said that overall the 38-year-old has done a good job and needs to be retained, especially at a time when Pakistan’s ODI team is struggling to find a rhythm.
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