Cricinfo - Players and Officials

Full name Misbah-ul-Haq Khan Niazi
Born May 28, 1974, Mianwali, Punjab
Current age 34 years 40 days
Major teams Pakistan, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Khan Research Labs, Sargodha
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

671

161*

41.93

1679

39.96

ODIs

1085

38.75

1231

88.13

T20Is

338

87*

67.60

250

135.20

First-class

130

209

9747

208*

52.40

118

List A

133

120

4450

129*

46.35

Twenty20

800

107*

42.10

590

135.59

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

ODIs

7.50

T20Is

First-class

130

192

149

1/2

49.66

4.65

64.0

List A

133

108

137

1/10

137.00

7.61

108.0

Twenty20

Career statistics

Test debut

New Zealand v Pakistan at Auckland, Mar 8-12, 2001 scorecard

Last Test

India v Pakistan at Bangalore, Dec 8-12, 2007 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

Pakistan v New Zealand at Lahore, Apr 27, 2002 scorecard

Last ODI

Pakistan v Bangladesh at Karachi, Jul 4, 2008 scorecard

ODI statistics

T20I debut

Bangladesh v Pakistan at Nairobi (Gym), Sep 2, 2007 scorecard

Last T20I

Pakistan v Bangladesh at Karachi, Apr 20, 2008 scorecard

T20I statistics

First-class debut

1998/99

Last First-class

Sind v Punjab (Pakistan) at Karachi, Mar 11-13, 2008 scorecard

List A debut

1998/99

Last List A

Pakistan v Bangladesh at Karachi, Jul 4, 2008 scorecard

Twenty20 debut

Faisalabad Wolves v Peshawar Panthers at Karachi, Feb 24, 2006 scorecard

Last Twenty20

Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians at Bangalore, May 28, 2008 scorecard

An orthodox batsman with reasonable technique, Misbah-ul-Haq caught the eye with his unflappable temperament in the tri-nation one-day tournament in Nairobi in 2002, scoring two fifties in three innings, including one in the final against Australia. But before Pakistan could hail him as a possible middle-order mainstay, Misbah's form slumped - he didn't manage a single 20-plus score in three Tests against Australia and was duly dumped. Pakistan's abysmal World Cup campaign - and the wholesale changes to the team in its aftermath - gave Misbah another chance to redeem himself, but he did little of note in the limited opportunities he got.

Even though Misbah had not represented Pakistan for about three years, a run-filled domestic season, followed by club cricket in England, and Inzamam's retirement from ODIs prompted the board to award Misbah a central contract in July 2007. A month later, he was surprisingly picked, ahead of Mohammad Yousuf, for the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa. He repaid the selectors' faith by finishing the tournament as Pakistan's best player and nearly taking them to victory in the final. He was duly named in the team for the Test and ODI series that followed against South Africa.

After an unremarkable series against South Africa, Misbah was by far Pakistan's best batsman through the Tests against India, amassing 464 runs in three matches, including two centuries. He was ice-cool in crisis, rescuing Pakistan on several occasions with spirited rearguard efforts. His remarkable rise continued as a mere six months after being picked for the ICC World Twenty20, he was made vice-captain and handed a top-category contract in January 2008.
S Rajesh January 2008

Jul 2, 2008

Saeed Ajmal is congratulated by Misbah-ul-Haq © AFP

Jul 2, 2008

Saeed Ajmal celebrates his first ODI wicket © AFP

Jul 2, 2008

Misbah-u-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed collide as they go for a catch © AFP

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