Love for the game, passion keeps me going, says Misbah

 

ABU DHABI: Former Pakistan captain and the veteran batsman Misbah-ul-Haq gave a lesson to the young players with his fighting half-century that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for Peshawar Zalmi over Lahore Qalandars, which is to stay at the wicket until the last ball is bowled.

Misbah lifted Peshawar from a struggling 20-5 with an undefeated 55-ball 59 to help them chased the own 125-run target in 19.5 overs. He added 100 runs for the sixth wicket with Daren Sammy who made a brilliant 36-ball 46.

The 44-year-old former captain said love, passion, discipline, and determination are his assets.

"I think I always said that the love of the game and the passion and if they are there you can go to any level," the veteran batsman said while speaking to Geo News.

"If these things are not there then nothing can motivate you. I am still enjoying the game and tough situations and that's why you are playing cricket at this age. The key is to play for the love and passion and take challenges,” he said.

Misbah further said that he featured in grade-II cricket for Faisalabad earlier this year to keep himself ready for the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

“If I had not played first-class and grade-II cricket then it would have been difficult. Grade-II helped me as I was in the habit of fielding long overs. When you play regularly then you keep fitness and hunger,” Misbah said.

Talking about how PSL has been helping Pakistan cricket, Misbah named Quetta pacer Mohammad Husnain, Karachi's Umer Khan and Islamabad's Musa Khan as the finds of PSL 4.

"If you look Mohammad Husnain is good. We are getting good bowlers but not good batsmen. Hussnain is bowling at express pace, then Musa is good and spinner Umer Khan of Karachi is also very good and it is difficult to bowl at this stage,” he highlighted.

"If you get two to three players then its good for Pakistan cricket and once they are groomed they reduce the gap of international cricket,” Misbah said.

Misbah said bowling in PSL is the best among the leagues around the world.

"I think if you look at the leagues around the world then here we have bowlers dominating. That is because our bowlers, group of bowlers is good. Every team has a group of a good set of five bowlers and the conditions are helpful for bowlers. Here you can only score after you survive. Unlike other leagues where you start hitting from the start."

Talking about the match against Qalandars, the former Test captain praised Zalmi’s bowlers, led by Tymal Mills (3-29) and Sameen Gul (2-17) to keep Lahore to 124-7 in their 20 overs.

"Credit to our bowling that they restricted them to 124 so it was possible. Our effort was to play till the 20 overs. If we were chasing 160 or 170 then we would have played differently. That situation demanded a different approach and you must play as per the situation and for that you need to have the basics right,” he said.