Misbah discloses how Babar, Arthur disregarded his advice ahead of World Cup
Misbah highlighted the subpar performances of spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has revealed that his advice on the team's spin bowling strategy for the upcoming World Cup was disregarded by captain Babar Azam and coach Mickey Arthur during the cricket committee's meeting.
Speaking on a local sports channel, Misbah voiced his apprehensions, highlighting the subpar performances of spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, a concern he had already raised during the Asia Cup 2023.
‘Spin bowling was the major issue, it was out of form and you had to figure out ways to sort it. Shadab and Nawaz’s performance weren’t convincing even in Asia Cup. When you were leaving for World Cup and things were in your control, you should have kept an extra spinner,” Misbah said.
The ex-captain stressed the crucial role that spin bowling plays, particularly in subcontinent conditions, and recommended that the team management should have taken measures to bolster this aspect of their game.
He conveyed his dismay regarding the decision-making process, suggesting that his advice was overlooked by the team's leadership.
"Management was of this point of view that we are carrying one team for more than a year. The management included captain, coach, and team director," Misbah further added, shedding light on the perspective that the team had developed over the course of their preparations.
Remember, Pakistan's World Cup campaign ended with eight points out of a possible 18 as the Men in Green emerged victorious in four games while tasting defeat in five.
Despite a great start in their mega event campaign where Babar Azam-led unit registered back-to-back wins against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, they went on to a four-match losing streak — the first time in their World Cup history — and became dependent on results of other teams to qualify for the semi-finals.
Even though Pakistan beat Bangladesh and New Zealand to stay alive for the semi-final race but the Black Caps' convincing win over Sri Lanka ended their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage nearly impossible.
Pakistan have now failed to qualify for the World Cup semi-final for the fifth time this century as their last appearance was in the 2011 World Cup semi-final against India, which they lost.
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