Afridi does not worry me: Malinga

Saturday, 8 March 2014 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

AFP/DHAKA: Rampaging Shahid Afridi and prolific Kumar Sangakkara have set the stage for a rousing contest when Pakistan face Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup one-day final in Dhaka on Saturday. Angelo Mathews’ Sri Lanka have been the dominant team in the five-nation event with four straight victories in the league, including a 12-run win over Pakistan in the tournament opener on 25 February. The charge was led by Sangakkara, the 36-year-old left-hander who has been in prime form during his team’s current tour of Bangladesh which began with a bilateral series in January. Sangakkara scored 75, 319 and 105 in two Test matches and 128 in the second one-day international to steer Sri Lanka to series wins in all three formats against the hosts. The veteran has also played three match-winning innings in the Asia Cup, making 67 against Pakistan, 103 versus World Cup champions India and 76 against minnows Afghanistan. He remains the leading scorer in the tournament with 248 runs despite falling cheaply for two in Thursday’s last league match against Bangladesh. “It is great to have Sangakkara in such good form, but the others will also need to step up and rally around him if we are to win,” Mathews said. “Pakistan have shown how tough a side they are to beat. But we have our plans and are confident of doing well if we execute them well.” Pakistan, the defending champions, bounced back after the loss against Sri Lanka to qualify for the final with three successive victories against Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh. The mercurial Afridi fashioned two tense last-over wins, slamming an 18-ball 34 against India before making an astonishing 59 off 25 balls against Bangladesh. Short boundaries at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium where even mis-hits land over the fence appear tailor-made for Afridi, and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq hoped for another power-packed display in the final. “Afridi is our main player,” a grateful Misbah said. “The kind of form he is in and the kind of confidence he shows, it’s good for the Pakistan team. “We just tell him to make sure he bats for at least 25-30 balls. If he does that he can score a 50. I’m really happy with the way he’s playing.” Pakistan Cricket Board official Zakir Khan said Afridi, Umar Gul, Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad were suffering from injury niggles, but he expected them to be fit for the final. “Afridi has a hip strain and the others have minor niggles, but all of them have responded well to rest and treatment and should be available to play tomorrow,” Khan said in Dhaka on Friday. Both teams boast of destructive bowling attacks with Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis the tournament’s joint leader with nine wickets and Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal in second place with eight. Sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who has taken six wickets, said Afridi’s explosive game-changing form did not worry him. “I am more concerned about how I bowl,” Malinga said. “Afridi does not worry me and I don’t think they (Pakistan) are thinking too much about me either.”

I am better off coaching myself: Afridi

The Asia Cup is Pakistan’s first tournament under a new-look team management, with Moin Khan as

Coach and Zaheer Abbas as Chief Consultant. The regime change has coincided with a stunning return to batting form for Shahid Afridi, whose unbeaten 18-ball 34 against India and a brutal 25-ball 59 against Bangladesh were instrumental in Pakistan reaching the final. But correlation, Afridi has said, didn’t quite mean causation. While praising the support staff for backing him, he said he was essentially his own coach. “It was different earlier, it’s not that it was not good,” Afridi said, after Pakistan’s practice session on Thursday. “The support team that we have now are all knowledgeable and keep you positive. As I’ve said earlier also, having played at this level for so many years, I don’t need a coach. I am better off coaching myself. I know very well what to do and what not to do. It’s about having the right people to back you and support you.” Pakistan, Afridi said, had peaked at the right time in the tournament, and this would help them at the World Twenty20 as well. “I’ve already mentioned before how important for us this series is,” he said. “The World Twenty20 is coming up after this. I think we peaked at the right time, that was the requirement.” Pakistan have never beaten India in an ICC world event, be it the 50-over World Cup or the World T20. Asked if they could overcome the jinx when they meet in the World Twenty20 on March 21, Afridi said he wouldn’t think about it till the Asia Cup ended. “I’m not looking that ahead,” he said. “My and my team’s focus is just on the Asia Cup final at the moment. When the World Twenty20 comes, we will talk about the India-Pakistan then.” Afridi said India and Pakistan should play each other more frequently. “It should be like that only,” he said. “Pakistan have always supported India at every step. Despite threats, Pakistan have always toured India. I think cricket can only revive India-Pakistan relations. Sport brings friendship. The way I enjoyed my cricket in India, I never enjoyed anywhere else. We are after all neighbours. The relations should be good between us. Cricket can only help better the relations.” This year’s IPL, like most other editions before it, will not include Pakistan players. “Ask your Indian Government,” Afridi said, when his views were sought on this. “Why ask me?” Afridi will turn 35 during the 2015 World Cup, and will have entered the 19th year of his international career. But the thought of retirement, he said, had not entered his mind yet. “Obviously, the World Cup 2015 is going to be a huge thing for me and my team,” he said. “As long as I’m fit and give my life to cricket, I’ll continue playing the sport. I will sideline myself the moment I start thinking that I’m becoming a burden on my team. I will not give anyone an opportunity to talk.”