“Frankly speaking, I have never thought whether my career will continue till the next World Cup [2015] as it’s too far to dwell upon,” Misbah, who reached the age of 37 years on May 28, 2011, told Dawn on Saturday.
“No one can predict even about tomorrow, while the next World Cup is four years away. Therefore, it is better for me to concentrate on fitness and form in order to deliver my best performance for the team,” he said.
According to a report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is pondering over installing a vice-captain while believing that it would be quite demanding for Misbah to continue playing international cricket till the 2015 World Cup.
However, Misbah is oblivious of any such move by the game’s authorities.
“I am not aware of any such plan within the PCB. It is the prerogative of the board to appoint any suitable captain for the team and I am ready to quit [captaincy] whenever the PCB deems it appropriate,” he said.
Misbah, who has played 25 Tests for Pakistan, insisted the main challenge ahead of him was to lift the current team to the peak amid all the challenges confronted by the team management and the PCB.
As a cricketer, Misbah underlined, he would always prefer to focus on his individual performance, and not captaincy. “It is the [individual] performance that can help you keep your place in the team or can enable you to retain captaincy. Therefore, everyone should concentrate on producing prolific [individual] show,” he emphasised.
While acknowledging that he has to bear pressure to lead from the front, Misbah asserted he always tried to perform his duty with honesty.
The skipper said the recent tour to the West Indies gave the youngsters a great opportunity to learn and improve their skills.
The captain revealed he would participate in the Super Eight Twenty20 tournament starting from June 24. “The T20 tournament will provide the best opportunity to all the players to remain in on-field action as the national team has a long off from international cricket,” Misbah, who has featured in 32 Twenty20 Internationals so far, said.
