Former Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq faced an emotionally challenging situation during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) player auction when his son Faham ul Haq went unsold while he sat on the Peshawar Zalmi selection panel.

 

Misbah served as part of the Zalmi auction team responsible for selecting players. His son Faham, a talented cricketer, entered the auction pool with a base price of 60 lakhs but failed to attract any bids from the franchises.

 

Reporters questioned Misbah about the difficulty of witnessing his son's name pass without selection while sitting among the decision-makers.

 

"This is one of those questions where you have to pause and stay quiet. Obviously, if someone is talented and performing, whichever team it is will notice. When his time comes, he will play. It is very difficult for a parent, extremely difficult, to reach a stage like this and watch everything unfold. At that moment, you try to stay neutral and avoid making decisions based on emotions," Misbah responded.

 

The former Test captain emphasized his belief in merit-based selection and earning opportunities through performance rather than relationships. "But I believe that when you perform, your time comes. You earn things through your performances, and that is when it truly feels rewarding," he added.

 

Many observers questioned why Misbah did not use his position with Zalmi to secure his son's selection at the modest base price. 

 

The auction, held on Wednesday in Lahore, marked the first of its kind for the PSL as the league expanded to eight teams with the addition of Hyderabad Houston Kingsman and Sialkot Stallionz.