'The Doors Are Never Shut': Misbah-Ul-Haq Places Faith In Veteran Players

Former Pakistan skipper turned head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has said that the board will put faith in veteran players such as Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez as long as they continue to perform. The two players scored one fifty-plus score each in the recently-concluded T20I series at home against Bangladesh.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had a tough time convincing the Bangladeshi team to visit Pakistan for a full-fledged series. After much drama, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (PCB) gave their nod to a proposal of three T20Is, two Tests, and for a solitary ODI.

A troublesome 2019 where Pakistan suffered defeats at the hands of both Sri Lanka and Australia meant that the series against Bangladesh was very crucial for the hosts.

However, they won the T20 series 2-0 after the rain washed third and final T20I. Both Hafeez and  Malik proved that the management put their faith in safe hands.

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Misbah-ul-Haq says the experience is also important alongside youngsters:

Pakistan has a relatively young team, brimming with talent but the experience is also equally important, in Misbah’s opinion. His decision to recall both Malik and Hafeez for the T20 series against Bangladesh paid off handsomely.

The 45-year-old recently revealed that he plans to continue giving chances to senior campaigners given that they justify the opportunities.

He said, “After two series, we have realised that we cannot go all out with youngsters and we need experience. So, obviously Babar did back them [Malik and Hafeez] and, as expected, their experience did work for us.”

The doors are never shut: Misbah-ul-Haq

“The doors are never shut. If any player who is fit, performing and required, he should definitely be considered. If their form is helping your team, then I don’t see any problem in picking them,” Misbah added.

Pakistan will continue to contest with Bangladesh and have a series with the Netherlands and a tour of England to look forward to, in the year 2020.

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