He played outrageous strokes: reverse sweeps off pace bowlers, paddle scoops over fine leg, and lofted drives inside the powerplay. In the group stage against India, he smashed 53 off 35 balls. In the semi-final against New Zealand, he played a captain’s knock of 43 off 38. He was the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
He spent years in the domestic wilderness, scoring mountains of runs (including a triple century in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy) but rarely getting a look from selectors obsessed with pace and power. By the time he made his ODI debut in 2001 against New Zealand, he was 27—ancient by Pakistani debut standards. He played two matches and vanished for almost three years. Misbah’s true international arrival came in 2007, ironically during a format he was supposedly unsuited for: Twenty20. misbah info
Instead, Misbah did the unthinkable: He made Pakistan unbeatable at home (or rather, their adopted home in the UAE). He instituted a policy of "no excuses." He refused to blame the lack of home crowds, the isolation, or the tainted legacy of the team. He played outrageous strokes: reverse sweeps off pace