History beckons for ageless Misbah

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who will turn 42 next month, has flagged the prospect of extending his career until their tour of Australia at the end of the year.

The veteran is currently preparing for Pakistan's four-Test tour of England, starting on July 14, which will be followed by a home series against the West Indies and tours of New Zealand and Australia in the 2016-17 summer.

Misbah will celebrate his 42nd birthday on May 28 and should he be fit for the opening Test against England at Lord's, he will become the first Test cricketer since England's John Emburey in 1995 to play beyond his 42nd birthday.

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He would also become just the third Pakistan cricketer to play beyond the age of 42 and the first since Miran Bakhsh's final Test, aged 47, in 1955.

But the 61-Test veteran says barring a loss of fitness and form, he remains willing to push on as Pakistan's skipper.

"If I manage to play the England series then I should also play the upcoming West Indies, New Zealand and Australia series as well mainly because (there are) close gaps (between series)," he told ESPNCricinfo.

"Although I am certain about my will of playing all the series it will also be subject to my form and fitness as if it goes down then I will walk away rather than being a burden on the team.

"All you think is positive and I want to contribute and this is why I am planning to play a certain length of time so that youngsters are ready to take my place.

"I hope by the time I leave, the Pakistan Test team is in safe hands and standing solidly on their own feet.

"If the team remains intact, when a new captain replaces me it shouldn't feel any different."

Cricket Australia will soon reveal the schedule for the 2016-17 international season and Pakistan are expected to play the final three Tests of the summer, including the New Year's Test in Sydney, by which point Misbah will be 42 and seven months.

But apart from a recent calf injury, the skipper remains one of the fittest players in the Pakistan team and has been crucial to their recent rise up Test rankings.

The right-hander has averaged a touch under 50 since turning 40 in May 2014, including four centuries, and has overseen just 11 losses from 42 Tests since taking over as captain in 2010.

Having retired from one-day cricket following the 2015 World Cup, he floated the prospect of retiring from Tests as well during his side's 2-0 series win over England late last year, which propelled them to No.2 in the ICC's Test rankings.

"Retirement is not about losing form or fitness; one shouldn’t relate retirement with these factors," he wrote in his exclusive column for cricket.com.au.

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"In my view, a player should retire on high. If he retires on a high he will leave cricket with respect.

"One should think about leaving the game with respect rather than leaving it when he is forced to leave."

But retirement seems to be the furthest thing from the skipper's mind as he targets the series against England, Pakistan's first Test assignment since they toppled Alastair Cook's men last October and November.

Having recovered from a calf strain, Misbah is planning to arrive in England ahead of his Test teammates and take part in some of Pakistan A's matches in late June.

"I am fine and hopefully this injury won't be an issue ahead," he said.

"Unfortunately I didn't get an opportunity to play county cricket but I am planning to go England with few of our boys before the tour to play some practice matches adapt in the condition there.

"I have the (Pakistan's domestic) one-day cup, conditioning camps and A-team tour ahead so I am looking forward.

"It has been very tough being idle but I made my mind up to play the England series."

Misbah is also awaiting news about the appointment of Pakistan's new coach after Waqar Younis stepped down following the ICC World T20.

Reports last week had former Australia batsman Dean Jones as favourite to take over the role having worked with Misbah during Islamabad United's triumphant campaign in the inaugural Pakistan Super League earlier this year.

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Should Misbah push on for the series against Australia, he and fellow veteran Younis Khan will be the backbone of a batting line-up that has flourished in their adopted home of the United Arab Emirates but has really been tested outside the subcontinent.

Just 10 of Misbah’s 42 matches in charge have come outside of Asia, the last of which was in Zimbabwe in September 2013, and 21 have been at ‘home’ in the UAE.

Misbah will also take charge of one of the most potent bowling attacks in world cricket, led by returning left-armer Mohammad Amir and fellow quick Wahab Riaz as well as legspinner Yasir Shah, whose three-month ban for a doping violation expired last month.