Misbah mulling over retirement
Pakistan’s discarded middle-order batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 is mulling over the idea of quitting the game in the next 12 months or so if he fails to return to the national fold.
The batsman was axed after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean where he failed to deliver the goods, as Pakistan were sent back packing in a last over defeat in the semi-final against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
Misbah, who made a roaring comeback at the international level after years of staying on the sidelines in the inaugural T20 World Cup in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, feels that at the age of 36, he does not have too much time left to make a comeback in order to prolong his topsy-turvy career.
He was brought back from nowhere when Misbah made a huge impact in the 2007 edition of the world championship of the shortest format of the game. He almost helped Pakistan win the title in the final match with a stunning batting effort against arch rivals http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. However, Pakistan fell short by just 5 runs, in one of the best T20 games ever.
He carried his form over to the subsequent tour of India where he smashed two hundreds on two occasions, helping Pakistan avoid defeat in a three match test series that they eventually lost 1-0.
Misbah was then elevated to the role of vice-captaincy but his form started to desert him during the tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 last year.
His patchy run continued in 2010 as he remained bereft of runs in the tours of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s first class competition.
After missing out on the ongoing tour of England, the batsman from Faisalabad feels that time is running out for him and he needs to get back in the reckoning immediately if he has to make a comeback.
"I know luck is not favouring me these days and with the youngsters making their way into the squad, I was forced to think again," Misbah told the media. "As a player, I feel sad to make such a decision but one day I had to decide when to call it a day.
The batsmen added that at present, he felt fit for the rigorous demands of international cricket as he has always concentrated hard on physical fitness.
"I am 36 and feel fit enough for the international arena. I'm seeking an opportunity to play the 2011 World Cup in a bid to end my international cricket on a high note. But if I'm unable to find a place in the national squad, I always have an opportunity of domestic cricket to do so”
Importantly though, it seems that the Pakistan Cricket Board is keen on giving an extended run to the youngsters in the team, especially the batsmen and the favourable result in the second test against Australia might mean the end of the road for the likes of Misbah, Younis and Yousuf.
The batsman also feels that to return to the national fold, he has to start scoring runs quickly, something that he has failed to do with any degree of consistency in the last year or so.
“My performance in the last 12 months hasn't been up to the mark but my passion for the game remains," he said. "Therefore, I have planned a time frame to my cricketing career and decided to quit cricket at the end of 2011."
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