T20 World Cup 2024

‘Mere baad marna chordh diya hain inhone’ – Misbah-ul-Haq on why Pakistan players don’t play scoop shot

The 20-20 World Cup win in 2007 was a watershed moment in Indian cricket as it changed the landscape of the sport in India forever with the arrival of the Indian T20 League. The cup could have been won by Pakistan, but a scoop shot by Misbah-ul-Haq agonized millions of fans in Pakistan.

Misbah left everyone bewildered when he answered the question as to why cricketers in Pakistan don’t play unorthodox shots such as the scoop or the switch hit. He linked the scoop shot with the 2007 20-20 World Cup where this was the shot that cost the game for Pakistan and deprived them of what could have been an inaugural World Cup win.

In the final, Pakistan needed 13 runs from the final over which was bowled by Joginder Sharma. He hit him for a six at the start of the over but played the scoop and found Sreesanth the next ball, which gave India a thrilling 5 run win over Pakistan.

He went down memory lane with former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram and said that cricketers in Pakistan no longer play the scoop shot from the time Misbah last played it in the 2007 20-20 World Cup final.

“This is a million-dollar question. How come…okay I understand that you are the most experienced, you know your game and you know your weakness and strength. But in our cricket, I have never seen anyone hit a reverse lap or sweep shot. I know they do hit got cricketing shots, towards mid-on, mid-off, square leg and mid-wicket…,” Akram can be heard as saying.

“Mere baad marna chordh diya hain inhone. 2007 final ke baad,” Misbah said (They stopped playing the scoop after I last played it in the 2007 20-20 World Cup final).

Logon ne dekha ki isko jeene nehin de rahein hain toh humbhi nehin marenge. Jo 15 chauke maare they woh kisiko yaad nehin. Maine zindagi mein woh shot kabhi miss nehin kiya. Agar mein samne marta, udhr bhi toh fielders the. Agar spinner bowl kar raha he and fine leg circle me khadi hain, main uske upr se maar sakta tha, woh bhi flight bowl ko. Mera execution hi galat thi.” (They have declined to play the shot because cricketers feel that they can’t live, No one remembers the runs I scored or the sixes that I hit, I have not missed that shot in my lifetime except then, I would back myself to play the shot nine out of ten times, but on the day of the final, I did not execute it right)