Man of the moment Afridi believes Pakistan has what it takes to be World Twenty20 champions
Man of the moment Afridi believes Pakistan has what it takes to be World Twenty20 champions
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Trust a personality like Shahid Afridi to come out and say the unexpected. According to the Pakistani dasher, winning the ICC World T20 title tomorrow will not be a huge mountain to climb.u00a0
"The way we are playing in this competition, I don't think it is going to be difficult to win the title," Afridi said yesterday as his team awaited the outcome of the West Indies vs Sri Lanka semi-final at the Oval.
With several controversies, Pakistan have scarcely given team unity a good name. But Afridi, whose all-round skills can demolish the opposition said, "We are always united but we are usually slow starters in any competition. We take time to adjust."
Incredibly, Pakistan are in the World T20 finals despite losing their warm-up games to South Africa and India.
"This is a determined lot. We keep telling ourselves that we've got to do justice to our talent and ability.
Everybody wants to give 200 per cent, not 100 per cent, believe me," he said.
Afridi was more than his cheerful self yesterday. The thrill of the win over South Africa the previous night in Nottingham had not settled. It was a match in which he got a 50 u2013 his first half century in any class of cricket in more than one year. His last one came against Zimbabwe at Multan in January 2008.
The South Africa battle of Nottingham was memorable and Afridi won't forget the moment when Jacques Kallis bowled him a bouncer after which the South African was pulled through midwicket for a boundary. Afridi being Afridi couldn't help responding verbally too. "I told Kallis that was a flying kiss from me," he revealed yesterday.
Pakistan rarely lose when Afridi breaks loose. In the World T20 final against India in 2007, he fell for a duck. He has been guilty of making the same mistake. But that's only because he wants to get on top of the bowlers.
u00a0Now, the bowlers better watch out.
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