For as long as Inzamam Ul Haq remains PCB's Chief Selector, poor Imam Ul Haq will have to bear the brunt of judgement calls and nepotism remarks.

In two days time, Younis Khan and Misbah Ul Haq will take the field for the very last time for Pakistan. Many feel they are leaving too soon, while many think that they have timed it perfectly.

No one really knows when the best time is to hang up their boots, but one thing I am sure of...

Both Younis Khan and Misbah Ul Haq are still at the top of their game, still the best test batsmen Pakistan have, and still have some years left in them.

In my opinion, the best 5 batsmen to play test cricket for Pakistan are:

All five of them are Pakistani stalwarts; however some of them overstayed their welcome.

If you take a look at the last three years of their careers, it is apparent that Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf had lost their touch.

Younis in fact has averaged more than his career average in his last three years; while Misbah has been quite consistent. Inzamam also performed in line with his career performance in his final few years.

Miandad and Yousuf though were below par.

Probably best for Younis and Misbah to call it time while they are still at the top of their game.

I found this quite interesting so I took a look at the final three years of the leading 5 run scorers of all time in test cricket. This is what I found:

While Kallis, Dravid, and Sangakkara were still at their peak; Sachin and Ponting went through a significant dip in form in their final few years.

Like Younis, Sangakkara too averaged more than his career average in his last three years.

It is also interesting to note that Younis, Ponting, and Kallis scored double centuries in their last three years; while Sangakkara managed a triple century!

Even more interesting is the fact that Kallis and Sangakkara managed their career highest score in their final three years.

So much for legends overstaying their welcome; besides a few all of them retired with grace and while they were at the top of their games.

Manchester was home for me between 2009 and 2011 and while I spent two magnificent years in the city, I was quite disappointed when England did not schedule a test, or for that matter neither an ODI or a T20I, at Old Trafford during Pakistan's tour in 2010.

I did manage to watch a couple of T20 games between England and Australia at Old Trafford and also made my way down to London on the weekends to catch a few days play at Lords and Oval in 2010, I feel like I missed out not watching Pakistan play in Manchester during my two years there.

Pakistan have pretty good memories associated with Manchester, however with mixed results.

1992


Despite that fabulous knock and a 5 wicket haul from Wasim Akram, rain robbed Pakistan of time to press for a win and the match ended in a draw.


2001

In 1996, there was no test at Old Trafford, but Pakistan returned to the venue in 2001 for the final test of a 2-test series after being comprehensively beaten in the first test. Pakistan needed to win the test to maintain their undefeated run in England that stretched back 14 years to 1987.

Looking to maintain their record on England soil, Pakistan posted 400 in the first innings on the back of a classic century by Inzamam Ul Haq who was well supported by Younis Khan (65) and Rashid Latif (71). England's response was emphatic with both Vaughan and Thorpe posting centuries, however once their 267 run partnership was broken, Saqlain and Razzaq combined to send England's next 7 wickets crashing for 75 runs giving Pakistan a 50 run lead.

Another Inzamam classic innings of 85 in the second innings helped Pakistan set an improbably 370 run target, which proved too much for England, even though Trescothick (117) and Atherton (51) set up the chase with a 146 run opening partnership.

Not many teams lose tests after three of their batsmen score centuries, but the two Ws along with Saqlain and Razzaq were a handful for the remaining batsmen.

2006

Pakistan returned to Manchester in 2006 with the series level 0-0 after a draw in the first test. Unlike the tests in 1992 and 2001, which went the distance into the final session of day 5, England finished the game inside 3 days in 2006.

Rather, it was Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar who dashed Pakistani hopes at Old Trafford. The two combined to take 19 Pakistani wickets, which would have been all 20 had Danish Kaneria not run himself out to give England a win by an innings.

2016

Much like 1992, Pakistan will reach Manchester 1-0 up in the series. Back then they had also won the previous test at Lord's. While Manchester's weather is always unpredictable and typical overcast conditions will create seaming conditions, the word is that Old Trafford has become quite a batsman friendly pitch in recent years.

There are also whispers of the pitch suiting Yasir Shah more than the one at Lord's, which will prove to be quite dangerous for England's batsmen.

England have already strengthened their squad by recalling Anderson, Stokes, and Rashid. They are contemplating playing two spinners; whatever XI they pick for Old Trafford, Pakistan will face a much tougher challenge in this test from a hurt English team. But have no doubt that Pakistan will be ready.

It is still arguable whether this is Pakistan's strongest team team or not, however what is clear is that this Pakistan team mean serious business.

They are well prepared, more than any Pakistani outfit before them; they are hungry for success; they are determined to prove their detractors wrong; they are motivated to bring honors to the green and white flag; and they can't wait to bring out the push ups and the salute once again.

Pakistan's ODI cricket has never been in such a sad state as it is in right now. They are ranked 7 in the world, are currently trailing Bangladesh 2-0, and if they lose the series 3-0 then they will drop down to number 8.

Where did it all go wrong for them?

If we consider the entire 45-year history of ODI cricket, Pakistan has the third best overall record in ODIs. Only Australia and South Africa have won a higher percentage of ODIs than Pakistan in this time. Despite this record, we are going through a period where Pakistan has not won an ODI series for over a year.

I fail to understand how they have fallen so far behind other teams. There was a time in the 90s when Pakistan was one of the best ODI teams, if not the best, in the world. They played two World Cup finals in that decade, winning one, and created a number of ODI records, which stood for a long time.

They were well ahead of other teams, but the turn of the century has witnessed a significant transformation, which is hard to understand.

Pakistan and its cricketers created 5 ODI records in the previous century, which at the time were the sort of records that one felt would never be broken. However, since the turn of the century, those records have fallen multiple times and it shows how other teams have not only caught up with Pakistan but have also marched ahead tremendously, leaving Pakistan far far behind.

1. Fastest Century in ODIs

In October 1996, one innings changed Shahid Afridi's life forever. He smashed a century off only 37 deliveries while slaughtering Sri Lanka's bowling in Nairobi and held the record for the fastest century ever scored in an ODI for 17 years! No one came close to breaking that record besides Afridi himself, who also held the record for the second fastest ODI century ever scored (45 deliveries) when he smashed India's bowlers to all parts of Kanpur in 2005.

Even though Mark Boucher bettered the second fastest ODI 100 in 2006, it was not until 2014 that Afridi's fastest 100 record was broken. Corey Anderson broke that record by 1 delivery when he sprinted to an ODI ton off only 36 deliveries against the West Indies. That record was broken again by AB De Villiers earlier this year when he further tormented the West Indies by destroying their bowlers and reaching an ODI century off only 31 deliveries.

In the 90s, one could easily say that no one can hit the ball the way Afridi does. He was well ahead of his time and gave many a bowling attack nightmares for some time.

The way the game is played today, however, there are many who can hit the ball better than Afridi ever did. The fastest 100 record has been broken twice already, and maybe ABD's 31 ball century will never be bettered, however it is easy to imagine many more centuries scored of 30 odd deliveries in the year to come.

2. Highest Team Score in ODIs

Back in the day, a team scoring 400 was unheard of in ODIs. In fact even 350 was a score that was rarely achieved by teams even when an innings used to be 60 overs long. In fact in the first two decades of ODI cricket, 350 was crossed only twice - by the West Indies in 1987 (360-4) and by England in 1992 (363-7). Sri Lanka were the only team that threatened the barrier of 400 when they managed the highest score by a team in ODIs in 1996 against Kenya when they amassed 398-5.

In that same game where Afridi hit the fastest century, Pakistan scored a daunting 371-9 in their 50 overs. That was the highest score by a team in an ODI between two test playing nations. That stood for 3 years before India scored 373 and 376 in 1999 against Sri Lanka and New Zealand respectively.

The game has changed so much that in the past decade or so, teams have crossed 400 in an ODI innings on as many as 15 occasions. Pakistan have managed it exactly zero times.

It is ironic that the three teams that posted the highest ODI totals in the 80s and 90s - West Indies, England, and Pakistan - are the only teams among the top 8 ODI sides who have not posted a score of 400 in an ODI yet.

3. Highest Individual Score in ODIs

Like a team score of 400, to think that a batsman will ever score 200 in an ODI was unfathomable. Viv Richards's 189* against England in May 1984 remained the highest score ever in an ODI for 13 years before Saeed Anwar smashed India's bowlers for a magnificent 194. That was the closest anyone ever got to scoring a double century in an ODI. Saeed Anwar could have easily become the first man to do so had he not perished as there were still a few overs left in Pakistan's innings.

At the time many felt that Saeed Anwar's record will never be broken. It took 12 years for someone to equal the record as  Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe scored 194 in an ODI against Bangladesh.

But then came Sachin Tendulkar's epic unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010. Saeed Anwar's record stood strong for 13 years, like Sir Viv Richards', before Sachin became the first ever batsman to score a double century in ODIs. In the past 5 years since then, we have witnessed 5 more double centuries in ODIs, and with the way the game is played today we will definitely see many many more.

4. Most Sixes in an ODI innings

In 1987 and 1988, Viv Richards played two innings in which he hit 7 sixes each. That was the most number of sixes anyone had hit in an ODI innings at the time. 7. In 1989, Sir Viv's compatriot, Gordon Greenidge bettered him by 1 and held the record for most 6s hit in an ODI innings - 8!

In 1996, Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi, during their respective record breaking fastest ODI hundreds, hit 11 sixes each. 11 sixes in an ODI innings was unbelievable, and it remained so for more than a decade before Xavier Marshall smashed Canada for 12 sixes in 2008.

However, the past 5 years has seen even that mark crossed on 5 different occasions. Rohit Sharma, AB De Villiers, and Chris Gayle jointly hold the record for most sixes in an ODI innings - 16! Shane Watson has hit 15, while Corey Anderson has hit 14.

It is not long before we will witness someone smash 20 sixes in an ODI innings.

5. Highest Partnership in ODIs

In 1994, Aamer Sohail and Inzamam Ul Haq got together and pummelled New Zealand for 263 runs for the second wicket. Back then, not only was that the highest partnership for any wicket in ODIs, it was the only time that a 250 run partnership was witnessed in an ODI.

Even though that record was broken before the turn of the century, this century alone has seen over 15 partnerships of 250 or more in ODIs, with the most recent one being Warner and Smith's 260 against Afghanistan, and the highest being Gayle and Samuel's record 372 against Zimbabwe.


Pakistan's ODI batting is currently the worst in the world. However there was a time when it was one of the best. In fact, as the above records show, Pakistan's ODI batting was well ahead of other teams, and definitely far far ahead of its times.

To think how far down the barrel we have fallen; it is just sad. It is unbelievable. And it is quite incomprehensible.

Misbah the ODI captain and Misbah the ODI batsman are two very different people.

While the captain was timid, defensive, weak, and lacked imagination; the batsman was calculated, strong in both defence and attack, imaginative, and a giant of the game.

If only he had translated the latter into his captaincy, he might not have as many critics as he does.

Despite ODI series wins in India and South Africa and an Asia Cup title under his belt, Misbah was just an average ODI captain. Some say that he didn't have the right resources and a captain is just as good as his team; I argue that men like Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi inspired average teams to do great things. Misbah just could not.

Misbah has won more ODIs as captain than he has lost, but his Win % is far less than most of Pakistan's ODI captains.

Despite that amazing record as a batsman, Misbah failed in inspiring his team to ODI wins. He has a phenomenal record as an ODI batsman in matches won by Pakistan; however as captain that record doesn't look as phenomenal.


Misbah averages almost 50 in ODIs won by Pakistan, however Yousuf, Miandad, Anwar, and Inzamam have superior records. Not only in terms of average but also the volume of runs scored in ODI victories. Even Saleem Malik and Ijaz Ahmed scored more centuries and fifties in ODI wins for Pakistan.

Misbah's average decline by about 3 runs when we look at his performance in matches that Pakistan won under his captaincy.

It should be noted that the record above does not include ODIs played in the UAE. No one even comes close to Misbah's average of 48.6, which is a good 10 runs higher than the next batsman on the list. What is even more interesting is that Misbah's strike rate in ODIs played away from home is bettered by only Yousuf, U Akmal, Razzaq, and Hafeez. In matches played away from home, Misbah has striked at a better rate than Inzamam!

This record for Misbah is not exclusive to Pakistan. Among all Asian batsmen, Misbah is just at another level when it comes to ODIs played in foreign countries.


Misbah averages a significant 16 more runs than the next batsman on the list in ODIs played in Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, and West Indies. In fact, he and Zaheer Abbas are the only two Pakistanis among the seven Asian batsmen who average above 40 in ODIs played in these countries.

For perspective, Anwar and Inzamam average only 27.9 and 29.8 respectively in ODIs played in these countries; while Miandad and Yousuf average 37.7 and 35.3 respectively.

While I agree with the criticism about his captaincy, there is no way anyone can criticize Misbah the batsman. He is an ODI batting giant and one of the best produced by Pakistan. One can only wonder what he could have achieved had he played during his younger years when he was amassing runs in the domestic circuit.

A strong Pakistan middle order comprising of Younis, Yousuf, and Inzamam meant that Misbah could not find many opportunities till after Inzamam left in 2007, following which he found himself often dragging Pakistan out of trouble. Misbah rarely had the opportunity to play with the freedom he would have liked. Again one can only wonder what he could have achieved had he consistently featured in a middle order comprising of Inzamam and Yousuf.

Misbah leaves the ODI game as one of the only 27 ODI batsmen in the world with an average north of 40. He leaves it with a better average than all Pakistani greats and other world class batsmen such as Ponting, Sangakkara, Lara, Haynes, Kirsten, and Ganguly.

Being talked about in the same breath as Inzamam, Yousuf, Miandad, and Anwar in Pakistan's batting chronicles is an achievement and a half. Considering that Misbah did better than them as an ODI batsman and one realizes his true worth.

I will be the first to admit that I was not a fan of his captaincy, or his ability to suck the life of Pakistan's batting while at the crease. But I will also say that often he had no other choice. Misbah's performance is a classic case of a realization that comes too late; his value as an ODI batsman was rarely recognized, however, it will be now like never before once he has left the game for good.