Misbah Blundered, India Plundered

There is no doubt that Indian cricket team emerged as the better side against Pakistan in Mirpur this week, but Pakistani captain Misbah ul Haq is also to blame for the loss. The top 5 mistakes made by the Pakistan captain are as follows:

5-Playing Wahab Riaz: 

 
For a player who hasn’t been a regular in the side for one year, for a player who has lost all confidence after being dropped from the side, for a player who seems the shadow of his old self, playing Wahab Riaz in the all-important match was a huge mistake. He bowled just 4 overs and gave away 50 very valuable runs, which easily cost Pakistan the match.

4-Dropping Sarfaraz Ahmed:



Going in the all-important match without a regular wicket-keeper is like going to bat without the bat itself! Pakistan gave India the edge when they dropped Sarfaraz Ahmed, and it showed in the field where the Indian batsmen plundered the bowlers without worrying about the wicket-keeper who was slow to react most of the time the ball went to him. With world-class bowlers in the side, Pakistan needs to have a regular wicket-keeper in every match they play, since it is a necessity for them, not luxury.

3-Stupid captaincy:


 
Not using Hammad Azam as a bowler, and removing Mohammad Hafeez after he had taken a wicket off the first over showed that Misbah was as confused on the field as the spectators were off it. His field placings were shocking as well, since they gave  India ample opportunity to score runs and gear up for the huge chase.

2-No back up plan 


Misbah ul Haq could have used his Master’s Degree in Business Administration to effect when the whole team was panicking against the arch rivals. His failure to do so makes him no different than his team mates who were also overconfident since Pakistan had reached the final, even before the match.
1-Coming to bat in the final overs

 
Misbah is known as Tuk Tuk Haq in Pakistan, meaning one who bats really slow. Had he sent Wahab Riaz in his place, or even Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan would have posted more runs on the board, because they would have dispatched the full tosses bowled at the them towards the boundary, which Misbah failed to do so. He missed the first full toss, and on the final delivery fell on the ground.