5 times Misbah-ul-Haq made the world fall in love with him

The man who almost crushed the Indian dreams in the T20 World Cup 2007 turned 44 yesterday. Of course, it is none other than the mercurial Misbah-ul-Haq. The former Pakistan Test Captain retired from Test Cricket last year after a series-win in West Indies.

A late bloomer in International cricket, Misbah played his first Test match at the age of 27. But it was not until 2007 that he gained any recognition from any of the fans. After his T20I heroics in the World Cup, he became a part of the Pakistani cricket scheme and helped it jump in front.

Misbah-ul-Haq was born in a region ‘Mianwali’, from where no Test Cricketer had ever originated. The self-made cricketer thus stamped his unique authority on the game. He scored over 10,000 international runs. While He boasts of 10 Test centuries, he has none in ODIs which is also a record (5122 runs - Most ODI runs without a century).

In such a fairy-tale career, there are many moments which make us admire the Pakistani legend. Here are select five that stand out.

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#1 World T20 2007 heroics

Pakistan's batsman Misbah-ul-Haq in the World T20 2007 Final

The inaugural T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa was in the same experimental mould as that of the 1975 ODI World Cup. The teams did not know how to approach this new format and thus the squads contained players which were largely unknown and untested. Pakistan in their ranks possessed this 33-year-old batsman named Misbah-ul-Haq, who presumably had no business playing this youngsters' format.

The veteran dazzled on the global stage of this T20 World Cup. The first spectacular glimpse was against the ODI World Champions, Australia in a group encounter. Misbah scored a fabulous 66* (42) to take Pakistan from 46/4 to the winning score of 165/4.

His opus magnum was reserved for the arch-rivals at the grandest stage, though. In the finals, Pakistan were tottering at 77/6 while chasing 158 against India. It was Misbah 43 (38) who kept the green nation alive in the match and almost won them the trophy. When Pakistan needed six runs from four balls, Misbah attempted a paddle scoop and the rest is history.

#2 The fastest Test half-century and century

Misbah-ul-Haq made his record-breaking century against Australia

Despite the heroics in T20 cricket, Misbah was branded as a dour batsman who accumulated runs as if he was adding it up in a savings account. A smashing way to break that cast was of course by scoring the fastest Test century.

In the third Test between Australia and Pakistan at Abu Dhabi in 2014, Pakistan batted first and piled up 570/6 dec. Misbah’s contribution was that of 101 runs from 168 balls. Australia could get to only 261 but Pakistan denied enforcing the follow-on.

Pakistan trudged to 152/3 in the 44th over and a different Misbah stepped out to bat. The first ball that he received was a full-toss which Misbah promptly smacked for a boundary. After being dropped on the second ball, he punished Steve Smith for 22 runs in four balls.

Carrying in the same explosive way, the Pakistani captain slammed the fastest Test fifty in just 21 balls (previous record – Jacques Kallis 24 balls) and the fastest Test century in 56 balls (equalled with Viv Richards).

#3 Push-ups at the Lord’s

Misbah's push-ups after his Test Century, England v Pakistan: 1st Investec Test - Day One

Scoring a Test century at Lord’s is a dream that every Test batsman harnesses. At the end of the career, the one thing that no batsman ever forgets is his name on the honours board of the Lord’s. Misbah’s name was etched on the board in 2016, but it was his celebration that outdid everyone.

The Pakistani captain won the toss in the first Test of the two-match series and opted to bat first. Misbah stepped out to bat immediately after the lunch with Pakistan crumbling at 77/3. He then stitched partnerships with first Younis Khan and later Asad Shafiq.

By the end of day one, Misbah was standing tall at 110*. His Test century at the age of 42 years and two months established the record for the oldest captain to score a Test century going past Bob Simpson.

After scoring the century, Misbah did push-ups on the ground as a tribute to the army camps that he had attended. He was later named as one of the 2017 Wisden Cricketers of the Year.

#4 Pulling off the improbable chase in 2014

Misbah's guided the improbable chase against Sri Lanka in UAE

Playing at the adopted Test home ground of United Arab Emirates in 2014 against Sri Lanka, Pakistan was trapped in a corner as they trailed in the three-match Test series by the margin of 0-1. When teams came back to the pavilion on day five, Pakistan needed 302 runs in the remaining two sessions.

While any other team would have rejected the idea of chasing the target and opted for the safety of a draw, the Pakistani team led by Misbah-ul-Haq displayed courage and bravado in making the impossible possible.

Azhar Ali led the way with a scintillating 103 runs from 137 balls. Misbah in support played his attacking best while raising 68* runs from 72 balls and fittingly scored the winning runs. Pakistan chased 302 runs on the fifth day in just 57.3 overs and levelled the Test series.

#5 The retirement

Misbah-Ul-Haq retired from Test Cricket in 2017

The three-match Test series between Pakistan and West Indies in 2017 was undecided until the second-last over on day five at the Windsor Park, Dominica. It was an unneeded hoick from Shanon Gabriel that crashed on his stumps, the shot gifted the series to Pakistan. The sweeter joy was bidding farewell to the retiring pair of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.

While Younis was the resting pole on which the Pakistani Test batting stood for years, Misbah launched Pakistan Test Cricket to new heights. He was the captain who carried Pakistan to number one rank in Test Cricket, a miracle of sorts considering the team was never playing in the home conditions.

Despite being the oldest cricketer in the team, Misbah never struggled on the fitness issues; in fact, he was amongst the fittest onboard. He rekindled a new spirit in Pakistan cricket which shall burn brightly in coming years.