Misbah-ul-Haq's selection to the Pakistan team for the Twenty20 World Cup had created quite an uproar. Many questioned the wisdom behind picking a 33-year-old ahead of many young names, but the Punjab batsman silenced his critics with some later order blitz.
The right-hander, despite the fame, has got his feet firmly on the ground. He said there were many areas that he still needed to improve upon.
"There is some recognition at last, and that is a good thing.
“But I am focused on improving certain areas of my game and become a better batsman. The primary area is to improve my ability to stay till the end and provide the finishing touches," he said.
In the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, Misbah's scoop off Joginder Sharma ended in the hands of S Sreesanth to deny Pakistan the crown. A month later, Misbah tried the same shot off Rudra Pratap Singh in Mohali and succeeded only in draggin the ball onto the stumps. But this time, the visitors escaped with a victory.
"I would have liked to stay till the end, but it did not happen this time also. Though we won the match, I felt that I did not complete the duty. I am working on that area," he said.
Pillar of batting
Misbah, a few years back, was expected to be the pillar of the Pakistan batting line-up after mainstay Inzamam-ul-Haq's retirement from international cricket. Inzamam has bid adieu alright, but Misbah said he wanted to establish himself in the team first before thinking of filling the void left by Inzamam.
"Filling in for a batsman like Inzamam, one of the best of his era, is a tough task. But I am looking forward to the challenge, and working towards accomplishing it. I am sure that I can do it," he said.
But the enormity of the task has not put any undue pressure on him. "I am not putting any pressure on myself to do that. I am firmly focused on playing some useful knocks for the team. I did not have that good a series against South Africa, but I want to make amends for that in the series against India," he said.