Misbah-ul-Haq picks MS Dhoni as his cricketing idol from India

As a player and captain, he had very little success against MS Dhoni. Misbah-ul-Haq had remained Pakistan’s sole warrior against India in as many as three world championship games — twice in the 50-over and once in the 20-over but failed to steal a win in any. In each of those games that Misbah kept on fighting hoping to give Pakistan a win over the arch-rivals on the highest stage, Dhoni was in charge of Team India.

But losing those three games in 2007, 2011 and 2015 haven’t reduced Misbah’s respect for Dhoni an iota. And it was confirmed when the 45-year-old former Pakistan batsman took the name of the ace Indian wicket-keeper as a batsman from India he would like to idolise.

Misbah, who had led Pakistan in the World Cup in 2015 in Australia and New Zealand, was among several stalwarts from India, England, West Indies, Australia besides Pakistan at the iconic Lord’s on Sunday for a programme organised by India Today. Among the greats, who graced the event were Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Shane Watson besides Misbah.

India achieved the maximum under Dhoni’s captaincy

When asked the interesting question of picking an idol from India by the host of the show, Misbah had first picked Tendulkar but added that he would like to idolise the 37-year-old Dhoni because of his contribution to Indian cricket. Dhoni, who is playing in his fourth and final World Cup this year in England and Wales, led India to the title victory in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 and the ICC World Cup at home four years later.

India also became No.1 in Tests under his captaincy and won all the three big ICC tournaments – the World Twenty20, World Cup and Champions Trophy (2013). It was also under him that India had won a triangular ODI series in Australia in 2007-08 and a T20 series Down Under in 2016.

“As a batsman, I would pick Sachin Tendulkar. But I would pick MS Dhoni because of the change and the achievement that Indian cricket witnessed under his captaincy. There are no doubts that there have been big names who cannot be forgotten like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly but I still believe whatever India has achieved under Dhoni are very big achievements,” Misbah was quoted as saying by India Today.

Misbah led Pakistan to the quarter-finals of the 2015 edition where they lost to eventual champions Australia.