I have lost count of the Captains who have led Pakistan Cricket team since the country’s coming into being. But there are three names which will glitter in our history like luminous stars. You don’t have to think hard to name these three luminaries. The first name that comes into your mind is Abdul Hafeez Karadar, under whose leadership Pakistan beat India in Lukhnow Test in 1949, England in Oval in 1954, Australia in Karachi in 1956, New Zealand in Lahore in 1956, and West Indies in Trinidad in 1958. It was under his leadership that great cricketers like Hanif Mohammad, Fazal Mahmood and Saeed Ahmad served this country with great distinction.
Pakistan had to wait for more than two decades to find a Captain who would make the country proud. His feats with the ball, the bat and skippership climaxed, when he led his team to lift the World Cup in 1992. It was ordained by the Providence that this illustrious son of the soil would jump from the world of cricket to the world of politics and establish a political party that might one day lead the country to the realization of the dreams that had eluded it for decades. The legend of Imran Khan goes on and on.
The third name has created a history of its own kind. Without the services of the destroyers called Two Ws (Wasim & Waqar), also of the magician known as Abdul Qadir, this forty-two-year-old cricketer has taken this country to the distinction of being No 2 Test-playing nation in the world. And he has done it in great style. Starting this year’s tour of England with a match-winning century at Lords, and after going through two heart-breaking defeats at Birmingham and Manchester, Misbah ul Haque has seen his demoralized team come back with vengeance at the same Oval where under the skippership of Kardar, Fazal Mahmood had ‘FAZALED’ out England in 1954.
Arguably Misbah ul Haque is the most under-rated great cricketer of the world. His own country is to be blamed for it. His youth was made to ‘rot’ in oblivion by our selectors.
It was an era in which our batting was dominated by Inzamam ul Hque, Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan. Misbah was not even considered for a place in either top order or middle order.
But greatness when given an opportunity does register itself forcefully. Misbah’s great moment came when he equaled the record of Vivian Richards of scoring the fastest Test Hundred. And he did it against Australia!
And now he stands solidly in the company of such great skippers as Kardar and Imran Khan.
He will be remembered also for his humility and decency.
As will Younus Khan for his grit and Never-Say-Die spirit.
These two grand old men of cricket have silenced those media stalwarts from the South who have never missed an opportunity to insult and mock them.
