http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 eyes World Cup
Pakistan ODI and T20 Captain Shahid Afridi is eyeing success in the ODI World Cup, set to start in the Indian sub-continent next month. The 40 day extravaganza would see a titanic battle for the greatest prize in international cricket,
which is the flagship event of the International Cricket Council.
Pakistan won the tournament in 1992 and made it to the finals in 1999, however, they had to endure first round failures in the last two events held in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 in 2003 and the Caribbean in 2007.
Afridi claimed that he had a lot of hope and belief in his team and its ability of rising through tough times.
"No matter what people say and believe, I'm confident that Pakistan will do really well in the World Cup," Afridi told the
News after returning from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 will take their best shot for the World Cup title."
"It's certainly not an ideal situation," Afridi said of the side's controversy-ridden build-up to the World Cup. "But it's our history that we give our best under pressure."
Afridi who relinquished the longest format of the game after returning as captain for the first test against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 earlier in the year added that the team has to work immensely hard if it has to make progress as a test team.
He feels that the players have the temperament to excel in the limited overs varieties especially the ODI format, where according to the mercurial Pathan the team has worked out a decent combination.
Afridi also brushed aside the notion that he would continue flirtation at the top of the batting order after failing to inspire the team in the first two matches of the T20 series against New Zealand where he opened.
"I would agree that a lot of work has to be done before we start doing well in Tests consistently," he said. "Even our Twenty20 team needs a world of improvement. But when it comes to one-day cricket, we are close to achieving an ideal
combination. Most of the players in our Twenty20 team are better suited to the one-day format."
"The idea behind my decision to open was to help give the team some fast and useful starts," he said. "But it didn't work out. Now I've decided to stick to No.6 spot both for Twenty20s and ODIs in the future."
Afridi’s short stint at the opening slot indicates that the perennial problem of openers is set to resurface during the World Cup. At present only one opener is a certain selection for the tournament all-rounder; Mohammad Hafeez. The right
hander has done well since returning to the team in the T20 World Championship in the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 last May.
However, despite the heavy odds stacked against his team, Afridi has shown belief in his troops. The dynamic all-rounder has also succeeded in turning the team into a fighting unit amid all the trouble that surrounded the team in 2010;
a year that would go down as arguably the toughest year for the often troubled Pakistan cricket.
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