Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq hopes his team’s Test series win over top-ranked England will earn them respect from the cricketing world after a turbulent period which tarnished their image.
Dogged by off-the-field problems like failed dope tests and lack of discipline, Pakistan cricket hit the lowest ebb on their 2010 tour of England when three of their top players were caught in a spot-fixing scandal.
The then Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were banned for conniving to deliberately bowl no-balls during the Lord’s Test against England, and getting paid for that by agent Mazhar Majeed.
Last November, all three and Majeed were sentenced to prison terms by an English court.
But since the scandal, Pakistan have fared well both on and off the field under an astute captain Misbah.
Pakistan beat England by 72 runs in the second Test to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, their fourth series win on the trot and eighth win in 14 Tests under Misbah, who took over two months after the scandal.
And Pakistan’s resurgence, Misbah feels, should earn them respect.
“I think the whole world should acknowledge and accept that Pakistan cricket is coming up, the way our players are performing and they should accept it. Such (negative) things can happen anywhere and we must forget them,” said Misbah.
Misbah, 37, stressed his team will build further on the success against England.
“We have put everything behind us,” said Misbah, who has led from the front hitting 12 fifties as captain.
Coach Mohsin Khan, who rather unluckily will be replaced by former Australian batsman Dav Whatmore after the series, said these are good days to relish after the bad times.
“I definitely agree with Misbah. We deserve more respect for the performances we have put together,” said Khan.
Former captain Ramiz Raja said Pakistan have earned respect.
“They deserve a lot of praise for the manner in which they have beaten the world’s best side. It’s no mean achievement,” he said.
Raja said the whole nation – embroiled in terrorism, corruption and bad governance – can take a lead from the cricket team.
“The team has shown more wisdom, sincerity and hard work which people in Pakistan should match in all walks of lives,” he said.
Left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman took a career best 6-25 to help Pakistan humble England by 72 runs in the second Test.
The 31-year-old twice took two wickets in successive overs to dent England’s chase after they were set a 145-run target on a weary fourth-day Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch, bowling them out for 72 – their lowest against Pakistan in all Tests.
Rehman’s effort overshadowed Monty Panesar’s 6-62, in his first Test for 30 months, which finished Pakistan’s second innings at 214 in the morning.
Pakistan won the first Test in Dubai by ten wickets. The third Test will also be played in Dubai from February 3.
