Misbah-ul-Haq denies claims of disrespecting England team with push-ups

Following the displeasure emanating from the England camp, Pakistan skipper Misbah ul Haq has reiterated that their push-up based celebrations were not intended for the home side.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the second Test at Old Trafford, the 42-year old stood firm in his belief of dedicating the Lord’s victory to army personnel who had worked with the visitors prior to the series.

Misbah insisted, “No disrespect for opposition, (England) are a fine team and we know their strengths. The celebrations were nothing to do with England, only a gesture for those we worked with.”

Earlier, Alastair Cook had expressed chagrin at Pakistan’s unique way of celebrating their impressive performance at one of the most iconic venues in the sport. Echoing the English skipper’s thoughts, Tim Bresnan was understandably miffed as well.

‘No worries’ about Yasir Shah’s fitness

There were some concerns regarding the fitness of Yasir Shah after he got hit on the shoulder during a nets session on Wednesday. However, Misbah revealed that the star leg-spinner was raring to go again.

The seasoned campaigner believed, “That was a wake-up call for him. It was a bit of a concern, but after the scan, I think he's okay. So no worries. He bowled beautifully at Lord's but everyone will need to bowl well again. Not just Yasir, all four need to step up.”

With Ben Stokes set to comeback from injury, the hosts could adopt a different approach towards Yasir’s guile. But, Misbah quipped, “(England) can try to attack Yasir, it's up to them what they want to do. We have to be ready for that challenge and Yasir knows that.”

When asked about the possibility of Mohammad Hafeez undergoing a bowling test between the second and third Tests, he welcomed the idea of having a bowler who could play in the top six.

The middle-order batsman hoped, “That could give us a big advantage if we have him (bowling) when the opposition have four or five left-handers. He couldn't work on it before the injury, so now he needs time to get ready before he is tested.”