Misbah-ul-Haq weighs on criticism following New Zealand debacle

Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq believes that it is justified for the Pakistan team to be criticised by the fans if their performances fail to live up to their expectations.

The Men in Green came under severe criticism after their poor performance on the recently concluded tour of New Zealand where they managed to secure just a single win in five matches.

Misbah, while talking in a Pakistan Cricket Board podcast, believes that fans have the right to criticise the team after their disappointing performances.

“Criticism is justified,” said the 46-year-old. “People criticise us because they believe in our ability and potential. Our team showed that potential in phases. We were down and out in the first Test, yet we fought back and brought it till the last five overs.

“We almost saved that Test from nowhere, which gave people expectations for the next Test. However, if your performance goes down from there, then the criticism is completely justified.”

The Mianwali-born cricketer, who led Pakistan to the number one position in the Test rankings since its inception, urged the side to work on its fielding. “We are disappointed because we were not able to captilise on the opportunities created. Our major issue and disappointment during this tour were the dropped chances, which ultimately affected the result of the series. We need to improve our fielding.”

Misbah believes that the upcoming home fixtures against South Africa will be beneficial for the side as they can boost their confident by playing good cricket.

“We will look at making changes according to the home conditions and the South African team. We may also consider top performers from the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for the South African series,” he said.