Misbah denies applying for Pak team head coach
Image taken from Pakistan Today.
LAHORE, Aug 21 (APP):The most successful former Pakistan test captain, Misbah ul Haq denied that he has applied for the job of Pakistan cricket teams head coach after Pakistan Cricket Board did
not extend the contract of foreign coach Mickey Arthur.
“All such reports appearing in a section of press tipping me as the next head coach of the Pak team are rumors and nothing else as I have not applied for the job “,he told media men here on Wednesday after second day of pre season cricket training camp here at the National cricket academy. As many as eighteen players are taking part in the useful activity under the supervision of Misbah. PCB has organized the camp to achieve the objective of enhancing players fitness and endurance ahead of Pakistan’s coming assignment of two-Test series of the ICC championship against Sri Lanka at home.
To a volley of questions on the same issue (head coach of the team) the former test batsman said “My complete attention is towards the ongoing pre season training camp and I am focusing on the assignment given by the PCB and doing my best to improve the fitness players of centrally contracted players .My objective is to help the players to make significant improvement in their overall fitness and to
better their existing standards and to pick the best players.”
Answering another question, Misbah said form and fitness will be the main criteria of players selection in the national team. “If a player gains top fitness it can not guarantee him a place in the team, obviously his performance in the domestic season will also determine his prospects at the time of selection and in my opinion both performance are fitness will be given the same consideration during the selection process.”
He said this ongoing camp is of greater significance as fitness is a key factor which helps the players to improve their playing abilities in their respective departments. “Without attaining required or top fitness any player can not perform up to a top level and I will be working on every player to inspire him to develop a culture of getting top fitness which will only possible of generating interest of personal training and giving attention to fitness,” said the former Pak captain.
When asked about his opinion regarding the selection of Pakistan cricket captain, he said, “PCB has the final say and authority regarding appointment of the captain and I can not
comment on it.” Misbah termed the coming assignment of Pakistan cricket team
of playing two ICC test championship matches at home ‘important’ and a test of players to show their temperament and technique required to perform in the longest version of the game.
“You need patience and a lot of concentration while you are playing test cricket and I think our players must pay extra attention and put in efforts to excel in test cricket,” he asserted.
