Shahid Afridi: We have the capability and firepower to break Australia's unbeaten run
Pakistan cricket team captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 feels Pakistan have the strength to beat the mighty Aussies and break their unbeaten run in the ICC World Cup.
“I am sure we have the capability and the firepower to beat Australia and break their unbeaten run,” said the flamboyant all-rounder who is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament so far.
Australia, bidding for a fourth successive World Champ title, have an incredible unbeaten 34-match streak in the World Cup. They have not lost a match in the mega event since the 1999 World Cup.
Their last defeat in the show piece event came at the hands of the Men in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Green-c60723 in the 1999 edition. Pakistan’s captain is confident that his side is capable of putting a full stop to Australia’s winning streak when they take on Kangaroos in the last league
game of Group A.
Pakistan have eight points from five games and will have a chance to finish the league stage at the top of Group A by winning the tie against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 at R Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
The Cornered Tigers started their World Cup campaign with a bang winning their first three games against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754. But they secured a berth in the quarter-finals by crushing minnows
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 by seven wickets in a rain-interrupted clash earlier this week.
Afridi said that they are well aware of the importance of the game against Australia and are eager to finish the league stage on a winning note.
“It is a very important match for us in the tournament and will determine our position in the group, so players know they have to win the match,” said the hard-hitting http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 batsman.
Afridi reckoned the mighty Aussies are not at their best and said that they will try their absolute best to exploit their weaknesses.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting agreed that his side has not yet been fully tested and Saturday’s game would be their first real test. He said that the Cornered Tigers have strengths in all areas of the game and would be a tough opposition.
“They are a dangerous team,” said Ponting, the only survivor of 1999 defeat. “They seem at the moment like they are a pretty well-balanced side with good fast bowlers and useful spinners.”
The two sides have faced each other seven times in the World Cup with Pakistan winning three of them.
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