Misbah-ul-Haq's achievements, legacy and standards which future captains will find hard to follow are the subject of Saj's latest article to feature on Sky Sports.

 By Saj Sadiq (14th March, 2015)

After a brief stutter that lasted two games, it appears that Pakistan are on the march again in the 2015 World Cup under the leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq.

Their chances of making it to the quarter-final stage of the ICC's premier one-day tournament appear bright and the nation as a whole is much happier with the last three performances of the team.

The local television channels are buzzing with excitement with analysts of all shapes, sizes, genders, current and former players vying for the attention of the millions who tune in religiously in the vain hope of listening to any form of logical thought from these experts.

Dominic Cork previews the crucial Group B clash between Ireland and Pakistan at the Cricket World Cup.
Whilst not much that is said on television shows catches one's attention due to the similarity of views depending on how the national team is performing on a given day, there were some recent comments made by the fiery former Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar which caught the eye of the media and caused a storm which is still a cause for intense debate.

In his typically robust and 'in your face' style, the 'Rawalpindi Express' delivered a startling message on television in India where he accused the Misbah-ul-Haq of cowardice in the face of tough situations on the cricket field.

Now, Misbah has been called many things in his 14-year association with the Pakistan national team. This includes terms such as 'Tuk Tuk' to signify his rather sedentary approach to batting and his generally 'dull' and non-animated behaviour on the field of play.

The 40-year-old captain has heard it all but even he must have been taken aback after being called a coward by a former professional, as would any fair-minded follower of Misbah's career.

Rescue

Taking over as captain of a team that was on its knees and on the verge of self-combustion in the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal in 2010 and leading them to some memorable victories against the top sides is not the agreed interpretation of the term cowardice.

Neither is his ability to come to the rescue of Pakistan's notoriously brittle batting line-up.

When the author of one of the most interesting books ever written about Pakistan cricket, Peter Oborne, remarked that Misbah-ul-Haq is 'the most honourable cricketer of the modern era', he was not exaggerating.

West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland all head into their final match knowing one will be knocked out of the World Cup. Who will fall?
The fact of the matter is that when the career obituary of Misbah-ul-Haq is written, there will be hardly a negative word which will be used to describe the tenure of a man who brought back universal respect for Pakistan cricket and its cricketers around the world.

With his modest demeanour on and off the field and with not one item of controversy associated with his time as a player and captain, Misbah has set a standard of decency which future Pakistan captains may well struggle to follow.

Maybe this is the reason why many former players and experts, who could only imagine or dream of the respect that the Pakistan captain has today, are in obvious awe of his stature and some unfortunately waste no time in criticising him in the vilest forms possible at every opportunity.

Respect

For a country renowned for flamboyant and sometimes eccentric but supremely talented cricket players, Misbah in a sense represents the absolute antithesis of this concept and perhaps this is why he will never be a favourite with some of the Pakistani media and fans.

His slow and steady approach when batting and his less than vocal manner of marshalling troops on the field is in stark contrast to the modus operandi of many Pakistan captains of yesteryear.

Pakistan have beaten South Africa by 29 runs in a thrilling encounter in Auckland,
This style of batting and management also tends to be the most criticised aspect of his association with a team which represents a nation where the virtues of patience are not readily recognized as strong points.

Where ability to rile up the opposition with outlandish actions on the field is usually considered a mark of honour, we have a calm head with an MBA in Human Resources Management and a personality that can only inspire respect from his wards.

Dogged

Unable to play cricket in the comfort of their home surroundings since 2009, Misbah has gallantly lead his band of men series after series in strange and faraway places with his customary aplomb.

Criticised by some in the media for less than honourable reasons, many in his place would have taken the easy route and walked away from the captaincy a long time ago, but Misbah has always had a calm but dogged determination about him which is why he is probably one of the most respected international sportsmen of today.

This, in short, is the Misbah-ul-Haq that Pakistan will lose due to his retirement from one day cricket when Pakistan's World Cup campaign comes to an end at some point this month.

His successor will be a player who is unlikely to have the gift of calm that Misbah-ul-Haq possesses and someone who can handle the pressures on and off the field with such grace.

As Misbah himself admitted in a recent interview, captaining Pakistan was probably one of the toughest five jobs in international sport and one wonders if another player can simply walk into his shoes so easily and keep the peace in a dressing room that has the tendency to be a volatile place.

Farewell

Looking at the current Pakistan one day and Test squads, the choices for the next captain of the Pakistan team are very limited in nature and it would be a tough call for the Pakistan Cricket Board to find someone who has the wherewithal to elevate themselves to the status of saviour that Misbah has enjoyed for a while now.

With limited-overs cricket done and dusted as far as his career is concerned, an ageing but very fit Misbah will soon bid farewell to the game he loves and has lived for.

But before that happens, just like another well-known and respected captain from the past, it would be an honour for Misbah-ul-Haq to possibly lift the World Cup in his country's name on the 29th of March.

That would be a fitting farewell to one of Pakistan's most loyal servants and to a truly great sportsman of our times.

As for his critics, a word of warning: sometimes you don't know what you had until it has gone.