World T20: Pumped-up Afridi eyes India scalp
57
KARACHI: Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi on Thursday said he hoped a tough World Twenty20 draw would motivate his team to win the title for the first time in seven years and beat arch-rival India along the way.
The 2009 champions are placed in Group 2 of the Super Ten round in the sixth edition of the World T20 to be held from March 8 - April 3 2016, along with hosts India, Australia, New Zealand, and a yet to be decided qualifier.
Their second match will be against India, a team they have never beaten in either a traditional one-day World Cup or the newer World T20.
Afridi said: “We have a tough draw but I am hopeful that this challenge will pump-up my team to win the title and on the way beat India.”
Pakistan lost to India in both the group round and final of the inaugural World T20 in 2007 and then in two subsequent tournaments.
They have also lost to India every time they have faced them in six World Cups.
But Afridi said it was time for a change. “I don't want to live in history,” he said. “Whatever mistakes we usually make in the matches against India we have to overcome them.”
Pakistan's recent form does not augur well. Last month they lost to England 3-0 in a T20 series in the United Arab Emirates, slipping to six in the rankings.
“We made school boy errors and despite putting up good fights in all three matches we lost by narrow margins so we have to be on our toes and should not repeat those mistakes,” said Afridi, who is set to draw the curtain on his two-decade long career after the event.
Pakistan have three T20 matches on their tour of New Zealand next month before featuring in the six-nation Asia Cup T20 in Bangladesh in February.
“We have enough matches before the World T20 so we have to find a settled combination and I hope we do well in these matches and carry that form into the World T20.”
Flashback: Afridi shows glimpses of his old self (PAK v ENG, 2nd T20, 2015)
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (57) Closed
Dec 17, 2015 07:53pm
Very poor talking from Afridi. It suggests that mentally he already has list this match.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 07:58pm
Here he goes again - Talking with his big mouth before the game and then hiding his face after the game.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:08pm
Afridi must leave Pakistani team. He has been playing with his trivial performance. He is total waste and we must give chance to new legs.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:08pm
Any team with its captain Afridi followed by Umer Akmal...No sir
it will only be shame ...lets wait and see
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:17pm
i think pak is a better team than indian which lacks quality bowlers.pak will win at least against india.indian players are complacent and generally tired after IPL which will give them an excuse after their loss.pak is a motivated team with good players and are underestimated by other non indian teams and will surprise them
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:29pm
@aatish - Let us see in WT20 game. Anything can be easily said in written/oral. Performance should speak.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:35pm
As always big mouth but no action Mr Afridi the current team we have now we cant even beat england in UAE how are we going to beat india?? especially with ur batting ur attitude and ur team selection we cant even beat street cricketers let alone teams like india I cant wait for you're retirement take Hafeez, Ahmed shehzad, shoaib madsood along with you for the sake of Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:39pm
If he was not able to do it twice before as captain and many times as "key player" then it's only insanity to do the same thing again and again and expect different results.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:48pm
PCB should not send a team to India ... They walked back on their pledge to play us ... No obligation on us to make this event a success for India ... Let them have a world T20 without one of the best squad in the line up ...
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:48pm
shahid afridi is the most unpredictable thing happened to Pakistan cricket.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 08:59pm
If you dont drop catches and throw away run outs.. you can beat india...
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 09:03pm
@aatish IPL starts after WC. Pak bowling might be better than Indians but their baating and fielding is below par.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 09:17pm
@aatish IPL happens after WC be it T20 or 50 over. talk sense.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 09:23pm
Going by the recent performances, available player and a faulty strategy, there is only a minute chance that we will win a single match against the major teams. his own performances have nothing in them to be mentioned. For creating any chance, Pakistan must address their strategy of the play between overs no. 5 and 15. The matter of fact is, Pakistan, even if losing couple of wickets in the whole innings, will never be able to score more than 165. It is their strategy which wrong.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 09:27pm
We can win if Afridi will bat for 10 overs.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 09:29pm
world cup is not about defeating India, it is about winning world cup.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 09:30pm
We should nullify India's batting as Sri lanka did in the last T20 Final if are not taking wicket dont give them Runs.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 10:03pm
T20 is not a real test of skills/abilities of players. Its actually wild entertainment and can go to any side.. I would say..lot depends on yr. luck on that particular day!
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 11:11pm
In 2009 when we won afridi was batting at 3 - he now comes in at 6 or 7 - how can he make an impact so low down in the order , the result can be seen in the last World Cup and recent matches with England
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 11:13pm
Pakistan will squash india inshallah.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 11:33pm
@Rahul - Spot on.
Recommend
0
Dec 17, 2015 11:41pm
Bring Ashar Zaidi and you have a chance, otherwise you will lose again.....
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 12:46am
All I want to see is PERFORMANCE
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 12:55am
Cricketers who have been around for so long as Afridi and played so many matches, have legendary records in batting and bowling, and look at Afridi's records? even his average is so poor...and unnecessarily sticking to captaincy without any performance. Also making his friends play for no reason such as Ahmed Shahzad, Umer Akmal, Sohail Tanvir and likes. He must go asap.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 02:36am
Shahid Afridi.... please just go away and let a younger and more motivated person have his opportunity to lead
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 02:53am
Is this really news worthy?
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 03:36am
The selectors should compare the players performance specific to T-20 cricket. Run rate and performance at tight spots should be the criteria. Check who has played match winning innings. The selection of top five batsmen is crucial with the best fielder talent in mind. There should not be any interference from captain, coach or chairman.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 03:58am
Afridi should realize that target should be winning the World Cup, not just beating India. Stop this fixation of beating India. Plan on bringing the cup home.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 04:58am
@Desi read the results from last super over performance
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 05:29am
We had Aamir when we won the world cup. Now Hafeez can't bowl or bat and he does not want Aamir in the team.
Harsh reality but the spot fixing trio was the biggest reason we won the world cup! Ramiz thinks he is a great analyst.. but he already knows this fact but denies.
Now we have no world class player in the team.. maybe Sarfraz/Rizwan; but with pathetic openers/middle order, guys like Sarfraz/Rizwan get all the pressure by the need to get in and save EVERY match.
Afridi, you can't lead the Australian winning team if you were given a chance. Afridi and logic are mutually exclusive. Only good part is that this would be last Afridi's world cup.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 06:07am
@anony can't stop laughing
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 06:09am
Whenever I hear Afridi talk..... It reminds of that age old English proverb, " Empty vessels make the most noise'
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 06:32am
Dream on! What nonsense this man talks.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 06:33am
@aatish Pakistanis should talk less and perform more.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 06:54am
T20 will be fun to watch. All good teams and exciting matches. I personally still enjoy Test Matches
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 07:58am
Only Afridi can pumped-up by 3-0 defeat.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 09:29am
Afridi you surely are not the man to do it. Too much hype around you.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 09:32am
Is Irfan playing? I have no hope for the team.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 10:06am
The moment pakistan plays india on Indian soil, it is already defeated because even if india fails or looses the match the media and their govt will say, see we got pakistan to play on our soil without any confrontation. Pakistan brothers should speak up to boycott this match and series. Focus on psl instead. I will come to us themselves
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 12:00pm
@T. M I dont understand why every body in Pakistan is so much against Afridi.. His bowling performance has been best in last Pak England T 20 series better than any English or Pak bowler. He has played good innings with bat also.. He was the best Pakistani performer in the series.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 01:54pm
@Shahid: agree! Specially under present team management!
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 02:39pm
Pcb please boycott to play in India.
It's unsafe place for our players.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 03:39pm
How would you win a match when you don't have a mentality and approach befitting this format. (1) When a wicket falls, you people need 2 overs to start scoring again. (2) And then a winning team needs a couple of hitters in the middle who can score at a SR of 200-250 % while we have all those who work hard to get a SR of 110. (3) Thirdly, we lack batsmen who can freely score against even mediocre spinners, leave alone Ashwin and Jadeja. The only chance Pakistan has is, if Afridi bats at 3 or 4, and then if we show flexibility in sending Anwer Ali, Yamin type players up the order if opners and the third down take us to the 10th over. Our problem lie in overs no. 6 to 13.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 04:12pm
I think after this T20 world cup Afridi and Dhoni's T20 career will be over. Afridi below par now and Dhoni on steep decline since 2011 world cup! I would suggest not to these two make captain, Ind can go with Virat and Pak can look some new face.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 08:09pm
Afridi, don't get carried away. Just go play ur match and come back. V all know our record against them n ICC matches. So trust me ur excitement is not going to excite me .It will only excite me if U win in the end. U guys have been disappointing us for many years now. I wonder that in my life time, would I be able to see Pak winning against India in any ICC event. So KINDLY, do not get much excited and take them as any other opponent.In my honest opinion, our team's mental strength does not match with Indian players. They are much more mentally stronger than any Pak XI, U play at that day. I still wish U a luck.
Recommend
0
Dec 18, 2015 08:26pm
@Fz What makes you believe that T20 WC will not be a success without Pak??? India has hosted multiple cricket matches without pak participation for the last many years & every event has been successful. If you guys do not want to participate, its your decision. But the event will be a success for sure!!!!
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 12:03am
It's better to have a quick tryout in the major cities and pick new young players will to play for free and without wearing these ugly looking outfit which makes the current team players greedy and make them standout as ugly looking billboards for products unhealthy for consumption and most of them are banned in other countries. So, retired them all and select a new team - the best approach to resolve all the team issues.
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 01:10am
@Rajesh You said it!
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 01:14am
@aatish, Whatever the facts and numbers in front of you, and be it any matter, nobody can beat you in self praise and boasting! You people are really good at it! Talk too much and do nothing!
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 01:27am
@Ali, We want World Cup in the most safe and peaceful country in the world- Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 04:36am
Um...I thought PCB wasn't going to send team to India for T20 World Cup?
Afridi needs to zip it. It's as if the entire focus is beating India. Australia is the I'd be more concerned with.
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 06:35am
@Danish Mehmood And inconsistent
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 12:04pm
Afridi better talk less & do more. Let your performance do the talking for you. Your track record in the recent past with India is not impressive. Improve on your game, don't get disbalanced by tall talking.
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 01:04pm
@AKKS That is where it is going to be right now
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 01:30pm
@Logic Talker Yes indeed! It's not by chance. It's because of its credibility which the whole world knows!
Recommend
0
Dec 19, 2015 03:41pm
@aatish .IPL will be after T20 World Cup.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2015 09:57am
Finally last series Of afridi .. And i m he will talk about ipl ..saying Ipl should allow Pakistan player
Recommend
0
