Shahid Afridi says Pakistani team will return soon if fielding is not improved
Pakistan captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 has come down hard on his team by making it clear that they need to improve their fielding if they want to stay in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2011.
Afridi’s latest outburst came after the Men in Green defeated co-hosts Sri Lanka in one of the biggest clashes in the group stages of the tournament. Pakistan defeated the favourites by 11 runs. A victory that should have come earlier had the boys in green
held on to their catches and made clean stumpings.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Afridi said, “If we field like this, we will reach Pakistan a lot earlier than what we have planned. The road will only get tougher from here and if we don't improve our fielding and don't reduce the mistakes while
bowling [Pakistan conceded 29 extras], I don't think we can progress far.” Pakistan made a mess of three catches, two stumpings and five run-outs.
Afridi admitted that his boys had relaxed in the field because the result was in their favour. However, he reiterated that this should never be repeated because it almost cost Pakistan the match. On the other hand he was seen active and involved in the field
which leads to show that the skipper was never relaxed for one moment while the team was out in the field.
Afridi stressed that Pakistan had improved a lot in the fielding department during the New Zealand tour. Speaking to the press he said, “Our fielding has been improving since the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 tour, but I don't know why in this match we dropped catches and
failed to accept the run-out chances that we created.”
Team manager Intikhab Alam has also insisted that the matter of poor fielding should be discussed with the players in the next team meeting.
Afridi accomplished a personal milestone in the match against the Sri Lankans by becoming the third Pakistani bowler after the king of reverse swing http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292 and current head coach Waqar Younis to take 300 wickets in One Day Internationals. He also became
the first all-rounder from Pakistan to score 6,000 runs along with 300 wickets in the 50-over format of the game.
Although Afridi is doing wonders with the ball, his fans are raring to watch the ‘Boom Boom Afridi’ hit bowlers out of the park with his massive clobbering ability. Afridi’s belligerent batting can run havoc in the ranks of the strongest oppositions on
his day.
Called one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball, Afridi has reiterated that he is more focussed on his bowling than batting and the stats do suggest that Afridi has become a key bowler for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kenya-c752 and four wickets
against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in the two matches that Pakistan have played in cricket’s mega event of the year.
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