Misbah ul-Haq ponders retirement after Pakistan’s stunning MCG Test defeat

PAKISTAN captain Misbah ul-Haq can’t guarantee he’ll see out the Test series after his team capitulated at the MCG.

PAKISTAN captain Misbah ul-Haq can’t guarantee he’ll see out the Test series after his team capitulated at the MCG.

The 42-year-old said retirement had been on his mind for some time and if he couldn’t help the team in any way he would stop aside.

He was dismissed for a second-ball duck as Pakistan failed to hold on and avoid defeat, and now has just 33 runs in his past five Test innings.

He’ll take time between now and next Tuesday’s third and final Test at the SCG, which would be 72nd if he plays, to make up his mind.

But even if he plays in Sydney, it looms as the last time he’ll captain his country.

“I need to think about that. I always believed that if I couldn’t contribute anything for the team there is no point staying there,” Misbah said Friday after the defeat.

Misbah-ul-Haq departs after being dismissed for a second-ball duck.

“This is a point where I need to think about that, even before the next game and after the series.

“In the next couple of days I will think about that and decide what to do.

“There is no point if I am just hanging around doing nothing, let’s see.”

Misbah was one of several Pakistani batsmen who offered little resistance on Friday as the tourists were bowled out 163 and within two sessions.

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He said no side should lose after posting a first innings total of 443, that his bowlers failed to build any pressure, nor could his batsmen cope with it when they went in on Friday.

But he also pointed to the blistering third day century from David Warner as the game-turner, declaring that after that innings his team was in no position to attack the game.

“Those three sessions took the game away from us … we gave the momentum back to Australia,” he said.

Misbah-ul-Haq in action at the MCG.

“Once you are under pressure, from a position you score 443 in the first innings, and instead of dominating the game on the last day you are saving the Test match,” he said.

“But pressure sometimes makes you do things like that and it was sheer pressure. Full credit to Australia, the way they batted and put us under pressure.

“In such a short period we just gave the lead up. It’s not easy for any batting line-up to play in this sort of situation, saving the Test match on the last day and the opposition is all over you.

“I think we should take the blame as a batting unit … the pitch was very good, it was only the pressure we could not handle.”

Misbah said “you want to stand up and perform” in pressure situations and the loss could not have been more disappointing.