Misbah laments Pakistan’s continuing exile

England will play their 500th Test on home soil this week. Unsurprisingly they are the first nation to reach that milestone. Yet, the fact they do so against Pakistan, a team virtually homeless since 2009, makes for a striking contrast.

Pakistan have played 151 Tests in their country but none since the Lahore Test in 2009, which was abandoned after the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus. Their nomadic lifestyle since has been much-storied not least earlier in this series after their stunning victory at Lord’s.

Misbah-ul-Haq rarely gives much away the day before a Test. When asked if he knew his team for Edgbaston he said “we are sure, no doubts” but refused to elaborate further. “Keep them guessing,” he said with a grin.

Yet when a question came about England’s milestone match at home and the stark difference in Pakistan’s situation he became very animated, almost impassioned as he spoke about the risks to cricket in his homeland.

He fears for the next generation, with children being drawn away from the sport. That, of course, is not only a situation for Pakistan, but a vast number of countries trying to keep the young active. However, Pakistan has the added difficulty of so much international cricket being lost to the country. The players can be watched on television, but creating “heroes”, as Misbah termed it, is so much more difficult with the continual distance.

“The interest of the youth is really losing out to other sports. It’s one area where …

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