Retirement ‘completely’ out of Misbah’s mind

This is going to be an interesting farewell, mainly seeing as it isn’t right now looking like a farewell. Or not one just yet anyway, so definitely hold back for now on the guard of honour rehearsals team Australia. Maybe not even one for the foreseeable future, so no need to start planning that farewell match either, PCB. He is definitely playing in Sydney and he is definitely playing as captain as well. That much we know for sure. And after that, well, we can get to it when we need to get to it.

Politely put, Pakistan have not had a straightforward history with the retirements of its great characters. But it did really look as if Misbah-ul-Haq might buck that trend. He would know when it was time. He would not make a fuss about it because, hello, he’s Misbah and not Shahid Afridi/Javed Miandad/Imran Khan/Younis Khan. He is not a rattler of the system. He is not a victim. He is not a star.

Moreover, Australia was a natural final frontier. No Pakistan side had won a series here, no Pakistan side has won a Test here for 20 years; heck no Pakistan side has even drawn a Test here since 1990-91. Win and it was the perfect time to go, the Misbah era sealed. Fail and then it wasn’t the perfect way to go but still maybe the right time to. Apparently not. Or, who knows, maybe.

It’s been a strange couple of days in the world of Misbah. He was as despondent after Melbourne as at any time in his captaincy. What he said then about retirement was a raw, unfiltered reaction to a defeat as hurtful as any; how much it shook him was clear in how openly he doubted his decision-making as a batsman. He never opens up publicly like that.

He has since found his centre again, however, no doubt spurred on by his team around him – his “family” he called them on Monday. They have gone to him and told him not to go, or not to go now, or to keep believing in himself and his ability. On Sunday evening, at a dinner hosted by Waqar Younis for the …

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