Year in Review: Top ten batsmen in One Day Internationals in 2013

2. Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq – The consummate soldier

The 39-year old Pakistan captain has effortlessly slipped into the role of sheet anchor for his side. More often than not, he has been the rock that bailed the squad out of deep trouble for the better part of 2013.

Since his heroics in the 2007 World T20 championships in South Africa, Misbah has been the glue that has held a rather fragile middle-order together. A selfless and dedicated team man to the core, he missed out on a maiden ODI century against the West Indies in the Champions Trophy in pursuit of a win, only to be let down by his inexperienced batsmen.

Runs flowed from his bat in almost every game he played; often in the act of rescuing his side from total embarrassment, he had to sacrifice personal milestones. But there is no question about his talent, skill and the ability to keep a mercurial side together in the most trying of times.

Misbah is no Dhoni, but he has done an admirable job of keeping his side afloat in crunch situations, even when defeat is a more than likely possibility. For a nation starved of heroes and beset by controversies, the skipper’s calm presence is much more effective than tranquilizer shots.