"It was a wrong execution" - Misbah-ul-Haq opens up on the painful memory of his dismissal in the World T20 2007 final
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq dove into the wounds of his attempted scoop shot over the fine-leg fielder that went awry, leading to his dismissal against India in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. With six runs needed off four deliveries and a lone wicket in hand, the 49-year-old perished attempting the ambitious shot.
Despite having hit four magnificent sixes off proper cricketing shots, Misbah tried the cheeky option but failed to attain the required distance as S. Sreesanth took the catch at fine leg. It led to the Indian players celebrating wildly as the batter was down on his haunches in disappointment.
Sixteen years later, Misbah remains adamant that the shot selection was spot on, but the execution failed him.
In a conversation with his former teammate Shoaib Malik on his show - Master Class with Malik, Misbah said:
"People always told me that was a wrong option. Okay pace was not there, that I get it. But It was a wrong execution. If you see the video again, you can notice that I was cramped for room and that’s why it ballooned up in the air. If I could have reached to the ball, I could have easily cleared that fine leg fielder."
Ironically, Malik was the Pakistan skipper during the tournament played in South Africa. Although he is remembered for his eventual dismissal, Misbah played a magnificent knock in the final with his side in shambles.
Pakistan were reeling at 77/6 in response to India's 157 before Misbah produced a sparkling 43 off 38 deliveries to take them to within touching distance of the title.
The former middle-order batter was among the star performers in the tournament, finishing as the third-leading run-scorer with 218 runs at an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of almost 140.
Misbah-ul-Haq suffers heartbreak of another final defeat in the US Masters T10 League 2023
Another tournament final produced another heartbreaking finish for Misbah-Ul-Haq. The inaugural US Masters T10 League final produced a humdinger that needed a super-over to determine a winner.
Led by Misbah-Ul-Haq, the New York Warriors finished the six-team race atop the points table with five wins in seven games. The side then brushed aside the California Knights in Qualifier 1 to advance to the summit clash against the Texas Chargers.
In the title game, the Warriors scored 92 in their ten overs, with Misbah dismissed cheaply for only five runs.
The Chargers were coasting in reply at 75/2 in the sixth over when a sensational four-wicket penultimate over by Sohail Khan and wickets off the final two balls of the last over by Shahid Afridi resulted in the game ending in a tie.
However, in the super over, the Chargers scored 15 and prevailed by two runs to be crowned the maiden champions of the US Masters T10 League. Misbah had a spectacular tournament, similar to his run in the inaugural T20 World Cup sixteen years back, averaging 62.50 at a strike rate of 186.56.
However, his team suffered a similar fate to Pakistan in 2007, unfortunately finishing as the runners-up.