Photo Credit: Islamabad United
Islamabad United, the most successful franchise in HBL PSL history and the winner of the first and third edition of the tournament, has announced today that the already expired contract of Misbah ul Haq as its Head Coach will not be renewed, given Misbah’s commitment with the National side and the new conflict of interest rules of the PCB.
Misbah had previously been the captain of the two Islamabad United teams that had won the PSL in 2016 and 2018. He was appointed as the Head Coach of Islamabad United in December 2019. Islamabad United would like to thank Misbah-ul-Haq for his association with the franchise and would like to wish him the best in his current role with the National side.
Ali Naqvi, the Owner of the Franchise, said, “Misbah has been an integral part of Islamabad United since being picked in the draft of PSL Season 1 in December 2015, and has been instrumental in making us the most successful team of the PSL. ISLU will miss his experience, guidance and wisdom but we respect the constraints of PCB’s new rules and his commitments to the National side. We wish him the best in his professional as well as personal life.”
Misbah-ul-Haq said, “I obviously have an attachment to Islamabad United and the relationships that we have built over the past five years. But with back to back World T20s coming up I want to focus on the PSL from a purely neutral perspective. For anyone involved in Pakistan Cricket their national commitments should always be the priority, and for that I believe I will have to sacrifice my franchise commitments. I wish the best of luck to Islamabad United for PSL 6, and the foundation we have built in that franchise will hopefully be a ladder to success for them for this year and future PSLs to come.”
Islamabad United is the most successful team of the Pakistan Super League (PSL); winner of the first and third seasons of the HBL PSL. The franchise believes in bringing change to Pakistani sports with the introduction of international standards of practice and a commitment to continuous progress.
AAN – Leonine Sports is the proud owner of Islamabad United, the FIRST CHAMPIONS and the most successful team in the Pakistan Super League. AAN-Leonine Sports is focused on enabling sports and creating franchises with a mission to provide: 1) A truly global experience on sports entertainment; 2) A fan base which is loyal, aware and supportive of the sport and the franchise; 3) An aspirational beacon for up and coming players to strive for excellence in cricket for Pakistan in particular and for the world at large; 4) An eco-system for the promotion of sports through close partnerships with the respective sports boards; 5) A truly professionally-run organization with exceptional standards of corporate governance and international best practices; 6) Promotion of Pakistan through sports and involvement of internationally known figures into Pakistan; 7) A responsible member on CSR.
The company focuses on the above mission statement by implementing a strategy built around the principle of 4 Es – Excellence, Empowerment, Education and Environment.
