Misbah to retire from ODIs after World Cup, says PCB official

According to the official, ul-Haq has already informed the PCB of his decision

According to the official, ul-Haq has already informed the PCB of his decision

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

A high-ranking Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official has revealed that captain Misbah-ul-Haq will retire from ODIs after the upcoming World Cup.

The official also noted that ul-Haq has already informed the board of his decision to retire.

Ul-Haq later confirmed this, but also made it clear that he will continue playing Test cricket.

“Seven days back, I informed the PCB that it was the right time to quit the ODIs and T20s, but I will continue playing Test cricket,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve thought about this for a long time. The World Cup is an important event and I want to play it well and then quit.”

Speaking to PTI, the official added: “Unlike Shahid Afridi who went ahead and announced he would retire from one-day internationals after the World Cup, Misbah has said he would like to do it through the board. He is keen to lead Pakistan in the Test series against Sri Lanka, England and India this year. We are now basically looking at appointing a younger captain from amongst the current lot of players.”

The official also revealed that ul-Haq will “take a fitness test tomorrow” in order to see if he has fully recovered from his hamstring injury.

“He is also going to take a fitness test tomorrow and even if he is not fit in time for the World Cup, obviously we have other options to lead the team in mind including Shahid Afridi and some others,” the official said.

When asked if veteran batsman Younis Khan will retire after the World Cup as well, the official said: “After Misbah and Shahid, we expect Younis might also decide to quit ODIs after the mega event.”

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