http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 asks team not to watch television ahead of World Cup semifinal
Pakistan’s skipper Shahid Afridi has asked his team to stop watching news and talk shows regarding the upcoming semi-final clash against arch-rivals, India. The match is set to be played on Wednesday which will end one team’s World Cup dreams while promote the other to the final of the ICC World Cup, 2011.
The Indian media which has created much hype regarding the knock-out clash is believed to be promoting negativity towards the visiting side. The Pakistan team is in India the first time since 2007 as relations between the two subcontinent neighbours hit rock bottom after the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 terrorist attacks in 2008.
Criticizing the Indian media, Afridi said he was not watching anything related to the upcoming match, as the media was creating undue hype. He revealed that he had advised his team to do the same.
“I’ve asked all the players to avoid watching news or discussions on TV shows and bulletins. It might distract them,” he said.
Afridi advised everyone to take the match as only a game between two countries and not as a war.
“There is no war, nothing like that. It’s a big cricket match for both the teams and I want to just focus on it,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, talking on his role in the team he insisted that as a senior player and skipper of the team it was his responsibility to lead the team from the front in the semi-final. He resaid that he has been working really hard on his personal form and fitness and was confident of putting up a good show against the arch rivals.
Afridi has shown commendable form with the ball which has made him the leading wicket taker with 21 wickets in the tournament this year. What he has lacked in batting, he has achieved with the ball. Afridi has certainly been a key bowler for Pakistan in this year’s mega event.
The all-rounder acknowledged that it is always a pressure game while playing against India and the team which manages to handle the pressure will come out victorious on Wednesday. He showed confidence in his young side and believed that they would be able to handle the pressure of playing against India at such a high level.
He ranked the semi-final as a huge game not because it was against India but due to the fact that the outcome of this match would determine the future of the two teams in the World Cup.
Pakistan’s first and only triumph in the World Cup was in 1992 when the team was led by veteran Imran Khan.
Pakistan and India have faced each other four times in the World Cup event since 1992, and India have always come out triumphant; Afridi hopes to put an end to the Indian streak this time.
Tags: