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| Responsible Afridi wants to win more for Pakistan |
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Saturday, November 07, 2009
ABU DHABI: Swashbuckling all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Friday hoped his more responsible approach to batting and effective bowling help Pakistan defend the World Twenty20 title and win the 2011 World Cup.
"I am becoming more and more responsible with my batting," Afridi told AFP. "I want to help my team win the World Twenty20 again next year and then the bigger prize in the World Cup in two years time."
The 29-year-old hit a punishing 51-ball 70 - his first one-day fifty for 33 one-day matches - and then took 2-46 to help Pakistan beat New Zealand in the first match at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Often criticised for not turning his explosive potential into performance, Afridi is fast proving that notion wrong with a more responsible approach to the batting.
He hit back-to-back half-centuries in the semifinal and final of the World Twenty20 held in England in June - one of which helped Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the final.
Afridi was soon made Pakistan's captain for Twenty20 cricket after Younus Khan decided not to carry on in the shortest form of the game - a reward for his explosive performance. And he has already set his target on the defence of World Twenty20 title in the West Indies coming April.
"Being the captain I have to do planning for the World Twenty20 because I want to win it once again, for my team, for my country and for my people who get inspired with our wins.
"See there is no cricket back home so it is important that we keep winning and motivate the youth to take up the game which will keep the interest alive in our country," said Afridi.
Pakistan's chances of staging international cricket were dealt a severe blow when the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in Lahore in March this year. Seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach were injured, besides eight people killed.
The events forced the International Cricket Council to strip Pakistan of its share of 2011 World Cup matches, while teams continued to refuse touring the country over security fears.
Afridi said it was the responsibility of the team to keep the youth motivated.
"If we win then youth will continue to follow us and that's a great responsibility on us players and everyone realises that," said Afridi, who will lead Pakistan in the two Twenty20 matches against New Zealand after the one-day series.
The two Twenty20 matches will be played in Dubai on November 12 and 13.
Afridi said he would always love to be remembered as a bowling all-rounder.
"I know all my fans want to see my explosive hitting, but I am more of a bowling all-rounder and want to be remembered for that," said Afridi who is the most famous Pakistan player in the UAE.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori praised Afridi as one of the most exciting players.
"He is explosive in batting and has taken spin bowling to another level."
And to keep Pakistan winning in the Twenty20 and one-day matches, Afridi has decided to skip five-day cricket.
He added: "I am not playing Test cricket, simply because I want to be more focused on one-day and Twenty20 cricket."
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ISSN 1563-9479 
