http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rashid-Latif-c84084, former Pakistan Captain, who is currently coaching the Afghanistan cricket team has admitted that it was hard to see the Pakistan team face an upsetting defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in the semi-final
of the ongoing Asian Games T20 Cricket tournament in China.
Rashid, who has been keeping the wickets for the Pakistan team in the past, had said ahead of the semifinal game that his side has the potential to overcome the strong Pakistan team. Rashid praised the performance
of his boys though he expressed a little grief over his national side’s defeat.
"I am happy that my players have lived up to my expectations and reached the final of the T20 competition but as a Pakistani I am also feeling the same way like other Pakistanis on seeing the Pakistan team lose
the semifinal," said the Pakistan based Afghanistan Coach.
Afghanistan defeated the gold medal favourites Pakistan by 22 runs in the semifinal played at the Guanggong International Cricket Stadium at Guangzhou on Thursday. The victors will play http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 in the Final
of the T20 tournament today.
Latif, though, said that being a former http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 player, it would always be difficult for him to see Pakistan losing in any match but he did opine his first priority, as a professional coach, would be to ensure
the excellent performance of his side against any team.
"But now I am a professional coach and my first priority is to ensure that Afghanistan does well whether it is against Pakistan or any other team," said the former wicketkeeper of Pakistan.
The 42-year-old Karachi-born player said that the Afghanistan side has got some very exciting young players in it and the team has the potential to thwart the favoured teams in the region. Latif further added that
the training camp held in Jalalabad for the Asian Games has helped the side a lot in earning a spot in the final of the T20 tournament.
Following the semifinal victory, the Afghan President, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hamid-c61327 Karzai called the team to congratulate them for their auspicious win and wished them good luck for the final against the Bengali tigers.
"Such gestures give the team a lot of boost and want us to do better. I am sure that if http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 is given a chance to play Test cricket they will improve rapidly and be among the top teams in the world soon,"
he said.
Pakistan sent a depleted squad coached by former Test opener, Sadiq Muhammad, to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/China-c40996 for the Asian Games T20 cricket tournament as the senior side was busy playing against the Proteas in the UAE deserts while
the second string players were in the Caribbean for an official tour.
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