Misbah reveals ‘biggest disappointment’ of 2020

Pakistan Head Coach Misbahul Haq has revealed his biggest disappointment, on the cricket field, in 2020.

While talking on the PCB Podcast, Misbah said that losing the first Test against England in Manchester was a bitter pill to swallow. 

“From a personal point of view, the biggest disappointment of 2020 was the tour of England, where we let victory at Old Trafford slip out of our grasps. Then, rain thwarted our chances of going 1-0 up in the series but I am glad we then bounced back strongly in the third match to level the T20I series,” said Misbah.

The former Pakistan captain also spoke about Pakistan’s ongoing tour of New Zealand and the fighting spirit shown by the players during the recently concluded first Test.

“New Zealand was slightly different and the 14-day quarantine, where we couldn’t even hold physical training sessions, hampered our Test preparations. That put a lot of pressure on the boys and resulted in a few injuries,” he said.

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“We won the third T20I, though I feel we could have won one of the opening two matches but lost too many wickets in the first match and then dropped a few crucial catches in the second. In the first Test and without Babar Azam and Shadab Khan, we fought gallantly and hard till the end that earned the team a lot of praise, which satisfies me and my fellow coaches,” he added.

He was also backed his “large pool of young and talented” cricketers to do well next year.

“As we head into 2021, I would like to reflect on the positives and learn from mistakes in 2020 so that we can improve as a unit. A lot of cricket has to be played in the next year, which will not only require consistent performance but also top-notch fitness. But with a larger pool of young and talented cricketers available, I am hopeful we will do better by converting strong performances into positive results,” he concluded.