Misbah-ul-Haq set to feature in QEA Grade Two cricket before PSL

It was back in May 2017 that Misbah-ul-Haq hung his boots and bid adieu to international cricket. However, he’s kept himself busy and has tried to play as much cricket as possible. He’s been relatively active in Pakistan’s domestic circuit and has been taking part in the first-class and List ‘A’ competition. The veteran has also been active in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), leading the Islamabad United side. In the recent past, he featured for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in the first-class tournament and List ‘A’ which took place in the last few months of 2018.

With the 2019 edition of the PSL slated to begin on February 14th, the former Pakistan skipper will have decent game time before the big tournament and it will help him prepare for it as well. He is going to feature in the Quaid-e-Azam Grade Two tournament which is set to take place right before the PSL. In the last couple of years, this is the second time that the 44-year-old will play for his home side Faisalabad. In fact, in 2017, the Mianwali-born batsman led his side to the title which helped the progress to Grade One in the Pakistan domestic circuit. However, following a poor run in 2018, they were once again relegated to the second grade.

Hence, Misbah revealed that his main motivation is to help Faisalabad get their place back in Grade One. He also wants to share his experience with the younger players. “The biggest motivation for me is to help Faisalabad regain their Grade One spot. We were relegated last season and our aim is to qualify for first-class cricket again; this is what we can strive to do for our region.

“Such events also provide an opportunity to work with younger players, to spend time with them to work on their game and transfer experience. On a personal note the tournament should help me prepare for the PSL,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Ahmed Shehzad to return after ban

Meanwhile, Ahmed Shehzad is all set to return to competitive cricket after serving a near six-month ban. He violated the board’s anti-doping regulations and hence, was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The four-month suspension was extended by another month and a half as he breached the ruling of the initial ban.

However, Shehzad is finally going to make a comeback after a gap of six months. “The last few months were very tough for me. I badly missed playing cricket especially since the sport is a childhood passion of mine and an integral part of my life,” the 27-year-old opening batsman stated. He will represent Faisalabad and accompany his former skipper Misbah as the team looks to regain it’s Grade One position.

~Written by Sahil Jain

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