Pakistani Headcoach Misbah ul Huq breaks silence over his future prospects
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LAHORE-Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has said that his full focus is on the South Africa series and he wants to see improvement in the national team’s performances.
Talking to the reporters on Sunday, Misbah said: “I am not satisfied with the performances and I want to see an improvement in the national side. My full focus is on South Africa series and on our performances. We’ll try to improve our shortcomings and remove the mistakes we have been making.
The former captain said: “South Africa had a good amount of strength in the past. They had decent spinners and then batsmen who could play against a spin attack well but this is slightly a different South African side and we look forward to improve our record against them. We will try to exploit their weaknesses. This is the time for us to play good cricket against them.
“The home team always has the edge due to home conditions; we also have an edge because our players have been playing domestic cricket here in Karachi. So, they know how things are going to be. So, we have a good opportunity against South Africa to do well and win the series,” the 46-year-old added.
Misbah dismissed the idea that results of Pakistan’s series against New Zealand will have any impact on team’s preparation for the upcoming series. “We played in different conditions there. Our strategy here will be different from what it was in New Zealand. We will plan looking at conditions and requirements of playing in Pakistan,” he said.
When asked about his performance as the team’s coach, he agreed that he is not fully satisfied with the performance and added that he is not worried about what is being said about his future. “We have always played our cricket under pressure; it doesn’t matter what people have been saying and there is no guarantee and no surety. What is important is how you respond to the job in hand,” he said.
“Pressure is always there on anyone, be it a coach or player, but you’ve got to deal with it. The results are not in your control, so you don’t think much about it. What is in your control is your strategy and execution. So, you’ll have to be perfect in those areas. “The presence of Saqlain Mushtaq and Mohammad Yousuf is beneficial for the players and the team’s overall strength.” He brushed aside the suggestion that having too many coaches on the field might create problems for players,” he added. Backing Babar Azam as national team captain, the head coach said the skipper should be empowered and have freedom to execute his plans. “Babar is an intelligent cricketer and we are giving him a free hand as captain so he may make his own decisions on the field and how to take the team forward. Hopefully this is how he will learn and improve his captaincy.”
