Shahid Afridi says Pakistan have no issues playing knockout stage in India – ICC World Cup 2011 news
Pakistan captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 has said that his team is ready to play in India during the knockout stage of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2011.
Pakistan defeated http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 Monday and qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament. However, their final position in the group is not confirmed as there are still some important matches left to be played.
Previously Afridi was quoted as saying that he would like to avoid playing in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 because of the tense relations between the two neighbouring countries but he clarified on Monday that the Men in Green are very confident and are ready to take on any team
at any given venue.
The Pakistan captain said, “It does not matter to us where we play our quarter-final. The biggest issue for us was to qualify for the knockout stage and we have done that now and we are ready to play our quarter-final at any venue now.”
This is for the first time after the ICC World Cup 1999 that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 have qualified for the second round of the tournament as the Men in Green had to make their way back home after the initial rounds of the previous two editions of the mega event in 2003
and 2007.
Although Pakistan were thrashed by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758.
Afridi said that his men are just focusing on the job at hand rather than focusing on other issues. “That is a thing of the past. Right now we are just happy to make the quarter-final and if we remain in our confident mode then it does not matter where our
quarter-final venue is,” Afridi added.
Pakistan’s last group match is against Australia next Saturday which is bound to have an impact on the standings of the teams for the quarterfinal stage.
If Pakistan beat http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Green-c60723 finish on the fourth spot in their group.
In any case, it is very difficult that Pakistan will play their last-eight match in India because the number two team of Group A will play its quarterfinal in the country.
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