Sharjah: Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq wants his team to go all out and win the Sharjah Test match and win the Test series 3-0 and also become the first team to record victory in all nine matches of a tour in cricket history.
“We are confident as a team; with the way we are playing, we will try to win this Test match. For us, every match is important and hopefully we will continue to play well. Since we have a tough series ahead (against New Zealand and Australia) we want to sign off with confidence and on a winning note.”
To a query as to how he motivates the players after having already won the series 2-0 in an inconsequential match, Misbah said: “You can’t say that it is an inconsequential match. In terms of ranking and your team’s reputation, it is important for you to perform consistently and keep on winning. It is important for us to win and it doesn’t matter whom you are playing against. It’s all about how you improve and perform.”
Does the prospect of a unique 9-0 win excite the team? “We want to keep it simple because for us every game is important, especially a Test match and a series victory always carry a unique value. Every Test win has a value in terms of ranking; it also increases the level of confidence. So it is important for us to try to win this game as well.”
To a query as to how he will go for the kill, Misbah said: “We are clear about what we are going to do. We always believe that winning is important no matter which team you are playing against. What matters is your own performance and the team’s performance. Winning and other factors like records after that. So when playing, we shouldn’t be thinking about making or breaking records.”
Misbah, who will be playing his 68th Test match, expressed his views on the importance of playing in a Test match. “Test cricket is Test cricket and it’s always great to win a Test match. West Indies on a given day has given us a tough time like in the first Test match when they created a tight situation from where they could have won or even drawn the game. In the second Test, at one stage they took the game away and it looked like they are going to draw it. So we should not take any team lightly, and remember that winning against any Test team is satisfying.”
Is the present performance result of the excellent preparation that the team had before the last England series? “You can’t prepare through one match or one series, it is a continuous process. The process for England preparation started long ago in 2010. With every passing day and every passing series, whatever we gained from our experience gave us the confidence. This is what actually helped us in England. Now after the England series and West Indies series here, we are in a better shape and are bubbling with confidence. This confidence will bail us in New Zealand and Australia. It will help us to take on the big challenge there and we will try to win there as well,” remarked a confident Misbah.
