Misbah-ul-Haq's decision to quit or stay on, says PCB chief Shahryar Khan

Misbah-ul-Haq

Revealing that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not force Misbah-ul-Haq to sit out of the third and final One Day International (ODI) against Australia on October 12 following the losses in the first two matches of the 3-match bilateral series, the PCB chairperson Shahryar Khan has said that it is up to the 40-year-old to decide whether he wants to lead the team till the World Cup 2015 and that, whatever he decides, he will have the complete backing of the board.

The PCB report, carried by its official website, adds that Misbah – who has scored only 152 runs in the last 9 ODIs – decided to drop himself after feeling “depressed” about his own form.

Shahryar said: "Misbah decided that he needed a break from the rather depressing scores he has had in Sri Lanka as well as here. The management also agreed that if you want to sit this out it is your decision.

"No one coerced him into doing this. He himself decided that this is the right time for him to take a break and see if he can recover in the tests.”

"He is depressed at the fact that he hasn't been scoring and I found it very, very noble on his part that he said 'if the day I get an idea that the team is suffering because of me, then I will myself say, let me go.'”

Board will back Misbah

The change in guard, however, didn’t have an effect; Pakistan lost their third match, too, this time with Shahid Afridi as their captain in a dramatic fashion, failing to score 2 runs off the last 6 balls. Glenn Maxwell, entrusted with the final over duties, bowled a double wicket maiden claiming the wickets of Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Irfan.

The PCB chief said: "I told him, we appointed you till the World Cup.”

"We were criticised for it and we will be now, even more, as he has not scored runs. But we remain totally firm that we have put our bandwagon behind him and (he) will lead.

"I had a half-hour chat with him.

"(I said) if you yourself think your leadership will not deliver, then it is up to you. We will not push you out. This is the view of all three of us - (coach) Waqar Younis and (manager and chief selector) Moin Khan.

"Misbah is determined to put things right, if he does he is back but (we) considered other names of course as a contingency plan."