Experienced Pakistan batsmen Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored centuries to put their team firmly in control of the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has voiced his surprise over the continued opposition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to the full implementation of the Decision Review System (DRS).
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq although admitted that Sri Lanka's bowling has weakened with the retirement of the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga but said that they remain a potentially dangerous side and could not be taken lightly.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan made half-centuries as Pakistan ambled to 222 for three at the close on day three of the second Test on Saturday, 358 runs ahead of England after Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah had scuttled the tourists lower order before lunch.
Pakistan cricket's endless parade of controversies and scandal has made playing for the national team akin to 'mental torture', according to captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
Former paceman Shoaib Akhtar labelled captain Misbah-ul-Haq "a coward" and "a selfish player" after Pakistan were crushed by 150 runs by West Indies in the World Cup on Saturday.
Misbah had the dubious honour of becoming the first player from his country to finish on 99 not out during their first innings of last week's seven-wicket first test victory in Jamaica.
With the word divided on Pakistan's leadership in 2015 World Cup between Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Aridi, former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq said that it's too late to meddle with the national captaincy with just over a 100 days remaining for the showpiece event.
Former Pakistan opener and chief coach Mohsin Khan feels that it will be a great mistake if PCB forces Misbah ul Haq to quit ODIs before the next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Misbah-ul-Haq has identified Twenty20 cricket as the means by which Pakistan can bring international competition back to the country.
Misbah-ul-Haq played a captain's innings, an unbeaten 57, as he steered Pakistan to a six-wicket victory over South Africa in a rain-affected second one-day international at Centurion on Friday.
Misbah-ul-haq overcame the loss of late wickets to keep his cool and guide Pakistan to a two-wicket victory over New Zealand in their fourth one-day international match in Napier on Tuesday. Misbah, who has anchored Pakistan's batting throughout the tour of New Zealand, proved once again a thorn in the side of Daniel Vettori's team, scoring 93 not out as Pakistan finished on 264 for eight in 49 overs having chased down the host's 262 for seven.
Taking a 2-0 sweep of the Test series against New Zealand was not on the mind of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-haq as his side made their final preparations for the second Test at the Basin Reserve on Friday.
"This is the best innings I have ever seen," is how Pakistan skipper Misbah ul Haq described young Indian batsman Virat Kohli's majestic knock of 183, which helped India chase a mammoth 330-run target in Asia Cup, in Mirpur on Sunday.
Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul Haq was dropped from Pakistan's provisional 30-man squad for September's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, but the PCB recalled Kamran Akmal after the wicketkeeper-batsman was cleared of suspicions of spot-fixing.
Defeated Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq is of the view that India has an advantage of playing their World Cup semi-final against Australia on a Sydney Cricket Ground pitch that will assist spinners.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has retained Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for this month's Asia Cup while Shoaib Malik, Imran Farhat and Adnan Akmal did not make the 15-man squad for the tournament.
Pakistani head coach Dav Whatmore and Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul Haq were reportedly engaged in a fierce argument with team manager Moin Khan over the selection of the playing squad for the ODI series against South Africa.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has backed the ICC's decision to enforce the Decision Review System in Tests and ODIs, saying the innovation reduces pressure on on-field umpires.
Pakistan's captain Misbah-ul-Haq and his players came under fire after losing the second Test to Zimbabwe on Saturday and dropping to sixth in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings.
Misbah helped steady his side after two brilliant morning catches by the indomitable Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson's 418th Test wicket from the first ball of the afternoon had reduced Pakistan to 85-3.
The Pakistan cricket fraternity showered the Indian team with praise for their incredible run to the final of the ODI World Cup, with the legendary Wasim Akram saying their cricket "is in a good place" despite the loss to Australia in the title clash.
Contrasting half-centuries from Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal secured a three-wicket victory for Pakistan over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final One-day International in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
His gritty century could not help India's win but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's ton under challenging conditions was acknowledged and appreciated by his counterpart Misbah-ul-Haq, in Chennai on Sunday.
Shahid Afridi claimed four wickets as Pakistan beat co-hosts Sri Lanka by 11 runs in their Group A World Cup match in Colombo on Saturday.
Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has opened the door to a return for disgraced opener Salman Butt, who was jailed for 30 months in 2011 for his role in a spot-fixing scandal. The 31-year old Butt, 31 was suspended in the 2010 Lord's Test against England at Lord's along with fast-bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for conspiring to deliberately bowl no balls during the match. However, Amir made a comeback to the international stage and also played in the recently concluded T20 World Cup for Pakistan. Having served a five-year ban, the former captain returned to domestic cricket at the start of the year and his early form indicates he's lost none of the ability that saw him score more than 5000 runs at international level between 2003 and 2010. The southpaw was in terrific form in Pakistan's domestic circuit scoring 135, 99no, 6, 30, 81no, 95 and 90 in the space of just 12 days in January.
New Zealand were nine without loss at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan on Monday, after the visitors had been bowled out shortly before stumps at the Basin Reserve.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said that his unbeaten knock of 72 against Sri Lanka has done his confidence a world of good after an indifferent series against England.
Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq steadied the Pakistan second innings with an unbroken 113-run stand after their team appeared to be heading for a heavy defeat by losing three quick wickets in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Friday.
His team is facing a do-or-die battle against South Africa after losing its Champions Trophy opener, but Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq remains unruffled, choosing to highlight the fine performance of his bowlers in the narrow loss against WI on Friday.
Pakistan retained under-fire skipper Misbah-ul Haq and out-of-form Muhammad Hafeez, but dropped tall left-arm pacer Muhammad Irfan from the 28-man probables' list for the two-Test series against South Africa.
Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn, the foreign coaches attached with the Pakistan cricket team, are likely to continue in their respective roles
The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to retain senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for the Test and One-day series for the forthcoming tour of South Africa.
Adapting to the new rules in One-Day Internationals will be "very difficult" for both the bowlers and captain at the beginning of a match, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said in Chennai on Saturday.
It was not just the combined effort of bowlers but also the preparatory training camp under former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq back home which helped Pakistan to tame the Indians on their own backyard, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said on Saturday.
With hardly any international flavour in their ranks, their hopes rest on ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, the top-rated spinner in world cricket, and the experienced Misbah, who will look to shoulder the responsibility of amassing the runs.
Amir, Imad recalled to Pakistan squad for NZ T20I series
The tough experience that India and Sri Lanka went through in Australia in their recent tour will give them an advantage over their rivals in the Asia Cup, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said on Saturday.
A series of reports about serious differences between Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq and senior player Muhammad Hafeez in South Africa has prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board to issue a strong denial.
England's Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann were the scourge of Pakistan as they bagged six wickets to reduce the hosts to 256 for 7 on the first day of the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
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