Pakistan deserve No.1 ranking after thriving in exile – Misbah

Pakistan deserve to be rated the No. 1 Test side, according to their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, in recognition of their success despite being unable to play any games at home.

Pakistan won the final Test against England at The Oval to square the series 2-2. It means that, should Sri Lanka defeat Australia by a margin of 2-0 (or better) and West Indies draw the Port of Spain Test, Pakistan would claim the No.1 spot for the first time since the official rankings were introduced in 2003. Their highest placing to date is second, which they achieved following the series win over England in the UAE at the end of 2015.

Misbah believes that, for a side obliged to host its home series in the UAE due to concerns over the security situation in Pakistan since 2009, that is a remarkable record.

“This team deserves that for six years of not playing any games at home,” Misbah said. “Sometimes people think it’s really easy for us playing in the UAE. They think the wickets suit us and we win there.

“But just living every day away from your country, without your family and friends, and playing every game away from Pakistan, is really difficult. It’s mentally tough.

“I can only see my mother once a year. I only see my sister once a year. Some of my friends, I could not see for three or four years because of these commitments. We are out of the country all the time. There are a lot of tours and even our home series are in the UAE. We go from West Indies to New Zealand to Australia. It’s not easy.

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