{ "id": "71322", "author": "26", "cnmid": "0", "title": "Pakistan Coach Misbah Aims Top Spot In Tests After South Africa Sweep", "lang": "en", "series": "438", "cup_year": "2021", "article_type": "General", "excerpt": "Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has his eye on a top-three world ranking for the national side in all formats of the game following their first Test series win over South Africa since 2003. Pakistan", "subtype": "", "editor1": "

Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has his eye on a top-three world ranking for the national side in all formats of the game following their first Test series win over South Africa since 2003.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Pakistan earned a hard-fought 95-run victory in the second Test in Rawalpindi on Monday to claim the two-match series 2-0.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Misbah -- whose position as head coach was in danger after a 2-0 defeat in the preceding series in New Zealand -- said his team were now heading in the right direction.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"The ultimate goal is to be number one in Tests and top three in other formats," Misbah told reporters on a video call Tuesday. "We have been telling the players about this target all through."<\/p>\r\n\r\n

It was under Misbah's captaincy in 2016 that Pakistan were ranked the number one Test team for the only time. They topped the Twenty20 rankings in 2018, a year after his retirement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Misbah also praised all-format captain Babar Azam, now regarded as one of the world's best batsmen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"We are heading in the right direction and this win over South Africa has boosted the team's confidence under a new skipper who is developing with every game," said Misbah.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Pakistan next plays three Twenty20 internationals against South Africa in Lahore on February 11, 13 and 14.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

After that they will tour South Africa for a limited-overs series in April, followed by a short Test and Twenty20 series in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

They are also scheduled to play the West Indies in an away series and host Australia, England and New Zealand in the next two years.<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pakistan-coach-misbah-aims-top-spot-in-tests-after-south-africa-sweep.jpg", "alt_img": "Cricket Image for Pakistan Coach Misbah Aims Top Spot In Tests After South Africa Sweep", "alt_title": "Misbah-ul-Haq", "image1": "", "video": "", "seo_title": "Pakistan Coach Misbah Aims Top Spot In Tests After South Africa Sweep On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has his eye on a top-three world ranking for the national side in all formats of the game following their first Test series win over South Africa since 2003. ", "seo_keywords": "South Africa Tour Of Pakistan, Misbah-ul-Haq", "tag": "", "tagging": "South Africa Tour Of Pakistan,Misbah-ul-Haq,", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": "0", "slug": "pakistan-coach-misbah-aims-top-spot-in-tests-after-south-africa-sweep", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": "0000-00-00", "ians_time": "00:00:00", "server_time": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "trash": "0", "view_count": "2692", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2021-02-09 13:57:58", "updated": "2021-02-09 14:47:10", "img_from": "Misbah-ul-Haq (Image Credit - AFP)", "img_source": "", "schedule_publish": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "news_keywords": "Misbah-ul-Haq, Head Coach, Pakistan, South Africa, Test Series, Pakistan Cricket News", "livescore_text": "", "livescore_link": "", "btn_text": "", "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "12", "jio_date": "2021-02-09 13:57:58", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": "2021-02-09 13:57:58", "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": null, "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/pakistan-coach-misbah-aims-top-spot-in-tests-after-south-africa-sweep-71322" }