Misbah-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain, unveiled that his guidance to fortify the team with an additional spinner and a suitable replacement for Naseem Shah was disregarded by the Pakistan team management. His insights were centered around addressing the out-of-form spin bowling, holding it accountable for Pakistan’s untimely exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Pakistan’s spin duo, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, struggled profoundly in the World Cup, collectively securing a meager four wickets throughout the tournament. Despite the spin-friendly nature of Indian pitches, the duo failed to find their rhythm, contributing to Pakistan’s bowling woes.
Misbah emphasized, “Spin bowling posed the most significant challenge. When spinners are off form, rectifying it becomes crucial. The Asia Cup witnessed underwhelming performances from Shadab and Nawaz, suggesting the necessity of an extra spinner.”
Expressing his concerns, Misbah highlighted the need for a suitable replacement for Naseem Shah, who was sidelined due to an injury post the Asia Cup, affecting the team’s World Cup prospects.
He added, “In batting, the extra middle-order batter will play when one of your main batters is unavailable. Then it was the bowling; obviously, it was out of form, even fast bowling; we have to look into that as well. If Naseem Shah was injured, then who would’ve been the right replacement for him? We should think about that.”
Misbah-ul-Haq lamented that the Pakistan team management chose to persist with the squad assembled over the past year, dismissing his recommendations. Unfortunately, this strategy failed to yield the desired results in the World Cup, leading to Pakistan’s elimination from the semi-final contention.
“I will say that spin bowling was the factor that affected our performance the most. The team management, coach, captain, everyone was reluctant to my advice, stating that they had been going with this team for the past year, but eventually, it didn’t click in the World Cup,” Misbah concluded.
Former captain #MisbahUlHaq opens up about the advice he gave to the team management, including captain #Babar Azam before the ICC World Cup 2023.#ASportsHD #ARYZAP #CWC23 #ThePavilion #WasimAkram #ShoaibMalik #MoinKhan #FakhreAlam #MisbahulHaq #AUSvBAN #PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/ojJ3JaMtfj
— ASports (@asportstvpk) November 11, 2023
Although Pakistan remains mathematically in the running for the semi-finals, their chances have diminished significantly. England’s impressive batting performance has made Pakistan’s task implausible, sealing an end to their semi-final aspirations.
