“I would love to captain Pakistan in Tests at home before I retire”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Misbah-ul-Haq has expressed his desire to captain Pakistan in a Test series on home soil before he retires.

International cricket returned to Pakistan after a six-year absence, but Zimbabwe will only be in town for a limited over series.

Pakistan triumphed 2-0 in the Twenty20 series, while the three-match ODI series will get underway on Tuesday.

With the ongoing series against Zimbabwe having gone smoothly thus far, ul-Haq believes that it could open the gate for other Test nations to tour the country in the near future.

“I would love to captain Pakistan in Tests at home before I retire,” Misbah, who recently retired from ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals, told cricket.com.au. “I hope soon some team will visit Pakistan and we will play a Test series here. Even during the matches against Zimbabwe I regretted not being part of the team.

“People have proved that cricket is still alive in Pakistan,” he said. “The way fans have turned out to watch matches, despite searing heat and extraordinary security measures, it has strengthened the view that international cricket should be played here.

“The people of Pakistan have shown to world that they can’t be kept away from cricket. We have given a very strong message to the world,” he said. “Zimbabwe is not much popular as compared to other cricketing countries, (and) still the fans have come out in large numbers to support them. It shows how badly we were missing cricket.

“The government should take more steps to bring cricket in Pakistan.”