LAHORE: Former Test cricketer and chief selector Mohammad Ilyas, the man credited with recommending Misbah-ul-Haq as Pakistan captain, waxed lyrical about the outgoing One-day International (ODI) skipper, saying he deserves to be respected for his services to the national team.

In a recent interview with Dawn, former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt revealed that it was Ilyas who forwarded Misbah’s name back in 2010 when Pakistan cricket was in turmoil following the infamous spot-fixing scandal which saw then-captain Salman Butt banned along with fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.

And Ilyas praised Misbah for both his performance as captain and a batsman as he led the national team with great patience despite a barrage of criticism, overtaking Imran Khan as Pakistan’s best Test skipper.

“Critics had been slamming Misbah when his performance was below-par but he held his own [with solid batting displays at the World Cup] before finally speaking out after Pakistan exited the tournament [which was his last as ODI captain] in the quarter-finals,” Ilyas told Dawn on Friday.

Misbah, who had announced his retirement from ODI cricket prior to the World Cup, made four fifties as he steered Pakistan to the last eight of the tournament and was the team’s highest-run scorer (350) in the event in Australia and New Zealand.

Ilyas urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to pick the right man to replace him to ensure Pakistan cricket remains in safe hands. “The next captain must be someone who is like Misbah since Pakistan cricket needs a decent and straight-forward captain at the helm,” he said.

Ilyas advised Misbah not to prolong his Test career and said that the expected series against India in December “would be the right moment” for the 40-year-old to retire from international cricket.

He praised current PCB chief Shaharyar Khan and his predecessor Najam Sethi for retaining Misbah as captain during their tenures despite tremendous pressure from former cricketers. Even chief selector Moin Khan and head-coach Waqar Younis wanted PCB to name a different captain during the series against New Zealand prior to the World Cup.

“Misbah has proved he’s one of the best cricketers the country has produced,” he added. “He’s praised world over for his abilities but it is sad that he’s not revered in the same manner in Pakistan.”

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

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