Misbah-ul-Haq agrees that Mohammad Hafeez's absence from SA T20Is will affect Pakistan

Pakistan's former skipper and current head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq has opened up on the exclusion of Mohammad Hafeez from the T20I squad for the home series against South Africa.

Speaking in a virtual press conference, Misbah-ul-Haq said that Hafeez's absence will definitely impact Pakistan, given the form he is in, at present.

“The form Mohammad Hafeez is in, it [his absence] is definitely going to make a difference. We will miss him but it is an opportunity for someone else to rise up. We will try to give opportunities to all the players so that they can make their place in the side,” said Misbah-ul-Haq.

The 40-year-old Mohammad Hafeez was not named in Pakistan's squad as he is currently taking part in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. He won’t be available to join the national team's bio-bubble on February 3.

“We are managing Shaheen Afridi's workload" - Misbah-ul-Haq

Reflecting on his fast bowlers' workload, Misbah-ul-Haq refuted claims that Shaheen Afridi was being overworked. The 46-year-old maintained that the left armer's fitness is not under any sort of danger.

“We are managing his workload and not trying to overload him. There is a physio and a bowling coach ensuring that everything is aligned. There is no such thing that Shaheen is being played despite him requiring rest. We are observing all the details and not crossing any line that endangers him."

When asked about his future as the head coach of the national team, Misbah-ul-Haq said that his focus is right now on Pakistan's upcoming Test against South Africa. He added that thinking about his future will only build unnecessary pressure on him.

“I’m not focusing on that. There is no benefit in thinking about things that are uncontrollable and it only builds pressure. I’m only focusing on how important the upcoming Test is and how important the previous Test was. We’ll try to continue the good performance and identify areas that require improvement."

Pakistan are scheduled to play South Africa in a three-match T20I series after the conclusion of the ongoing Test series between the two sides. The 2nd and last Test match starts on Thursday at Rawalpindi.