Pakistan skipper Shahid wants his team to win today's ICC World T20 second semi-final against Australia as that could help bring international back to the troubled nation.
Pakistan skipper Shahid wants his team to win today's ICC World T20 second semi-final against Australia as that could help bring international back to the troubled nation.
Last year's attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore effectively led to the suspension of international cricket in Pakistan and turned the national side into globe-trotters denied the chance to play in front of their own fans.
If that were not bad enough, a wretched tour of Australia, where Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match led to seven players being either banned or fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Former captains Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned indefinitely from playing for Pakistan.
Shoaib Malik, another former captain, was banned for one year and fined two million rupees (24,000 dollars), as was all-rounder Rana Naved.
Meanwhile Shahid Afridi, now Pakistan's captain and the Akmal brothers, Kamran andu00a0 Umar, were heavily fined. During the Australia tour Afridi was caught by cameras munching on the ball during an ODI in Perth.
"The only thing is performance and if we win everything will be fine," Afridi told reporters at Beausejour Stadium yesterday.
"The guys are confident and it will be a great game against Australia," said Afridi, who urged the game's leading nations to return to his homeland. "This competition is very important. We are here to play good cricket and win this competition because there is no cricket in Pakistan. We want to see cricket come back home."
