LAHORE: With the T20 series between Zimbabwe and Pakistan all set to explode today, Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq hopes that five-day game will also resume in the country so that he can lead the national team on home soil.

Talking to Dawn, Misbah who led the national team on home soil only once — against India in the 2008 Asia Cup in Karachi — said on Thursday it was a great that international cricket had returned to Pakistan after six years.

“Though I have captained the team for five years, I could not get a chance to lead it at home except once. But as I am still playing Test cricket I would like to see Test matches also staged in Pakistan so that I can lead the team before our own crowd,” Misbah said.

He hailed Zimbabwe Cricket’s decision of sending its national team and hoped the move would further open the gates of international cricket to Pakistan.

Commenting on the T20 series starting at the Gaddafi Stadium today, Misbah said he was expecting a better show from Shahid Afridi’s men.

The Test skipper advised Afridi and company to remain positive instead of taking the pressure of playing under must-win situation to avoid decline in the ICC T20 rankings list.

Misbah retired from ODI cricket after the World Cup earlier this year but decided to continue playing Test cricket, in which he has earned the honour of becoming Pakistan’s best Test captain (in terms of number of victories), leaving behind legendary Imran Khan.

Though PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan had announced that both Misbah and Afridi (the latter has confined himself to T20s after this year’s World Cup) would be honoured at a function, no such event has been held so far.

However, now Zimbabwe in Pakistan to feature in a landmark limited-overs series, one feels the PCB has a very good opportunity to honour the two veteran players — for their sterling ODI services for the country — in front of home crowd.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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