Redemption for Misbah in United’s triumph

DUBAI: Eight years ago at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, amidst manic Indian celebrations, was a picture of a disconsolate Misbah-ul-Haq, sunk to his knees, hoping for dear time to undo the last couple of minutes. He had made the full switch from hero to culprit No 1 with that one shot.

Misbah was 33 and had only just about restarted his international career after a false start in 2001.

He didn’t drape himself in self pity or play the victim card. He simply picked himself and set about playing cricket. Little did Pakistan cricket know then, that he was the indomitable spirit they needed most in the face of some of the most tumultuous times that lay ahead.

Poetic justice was done on Tuesday at a packed Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the final of the first-ever HBL Pakistan Super League, a tournament Misbah compared to the World Cup at the start of the game. There were no histrionics this time as Misbah flicked the first ball he faced towards mid-wicket, breaking into a huge grin as he completed the one run needed to give Islamabad United the title.

Misbah needed the win as much as Pakistan needed the PSL to become a success. A defeat in a domestic T20 tournament would have taken nothing away from the man’s legacy but victory certainly adds to the sheen.

After years of lone-ranger efforts that only resulted in painful defeats and derisory nicknames, it was perhaps fitting that Misbah had to walk out just to hit the winning runs in the final of a tournament widely expected to symbolise the changing fortunes of Pakistan cricket.

“People are free to say what they want,” Misbah said with a smile when asked if he hoped that ‘Tuk Tuk’ nickname would eventually be dropped considering his vast contributions to the United side.

“I’m a firm believer in that if you are secure about who you are and what you can do, then what others think of you doesn’t really matter.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am tonight. All of Pakistan was waiting for this tournament to take place. I myself had always envisioned to see a successful tournament, whenever that would eventually take place. For it to become a reality and for our team to win the inaugural title, it’s just perfect,” he said.

It was a far-from-perfect campaign for Misbah and United, who flirted dangerously with the idea of non-qualification to the playoffs after picking up just two wins from their first six games. Injuries gripped the team midway through their campaign with Misbah himself laid low for two games by a calf niggle. But like all champion sides do, the team turned a corner with a morale-boosting win over Karachi Kings before sweeping the final four games of the tournament in a comeback act not too dissimilar to Imran Khan’s Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup.

Key to this turnaround, as Misbah pointed out, was the experience he had with him in the side. With the likes of Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Saeed Ajmal and Misbah, Islamabad, the third oldest team — in terms of average age of squad — to win a T20 league, were well endowed in the experience bracket. In Wasim Akram and Dean Jones, they also had a backroom staff that knew what it took to turn things around.

“You need to have people around you who know a thing or two about winning big tournaments,” Misbah said. “Wasim Akram, Dean Jones, Brad Haddin are all World Cup winners. Guys like Andre Russell, Dwayne Smith know what it takes to win T20 leagues, having done so around the world. There will be ups and downs in such tournaments, but you’ll just need to believe, keep working and not panic. Things will fall into place.

“Experience is extremely important. When I first played T20 cricket in 2007, I was 33. I had a lot of first-class experience by then. When you play in crunch situations, experience helps you handle them. That’s where we have been successful. Look at Mohammad Sami... he’s a very mature bowler now. Look at Smith and Haddin... without their experience you cannot have handled all that pressure of having to chase 175 in a final.”

It was a near-perfect performance from Islamabad on the big stage, having been outplayed by Quetta in each of their two previous encounters.

Gladiators were the emotional favourites heading into the title clash. They put in another sparkling performance but turned out shot in the face of inspired opponents, who had peaked just at the right time, winning each of their final five games to lift the shooting star trophy.

Scoreboard

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

Bismillah Khan c Haddin b Irfan 0

Ahmed Shehzad c Badree b Sami 64

K.P. Pietersen c Asif b Russell 18

K.C. Sangakkara c Imran b Russell 55

Mohammad Nawaz b Badree 7

Sarfraz Ahmed c Smith b Irfan 3

G.D. Elliott not out 12

Anwar Ali c Khalid Latif b Russell 13

N.L. McCullum not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2) 2