INDIA: CRICKET - Pakistani captain Afridi says pacer Shoaib Akhtar doubtful for India match

Record ID: 1374312

  • Title: INDIA: CRICKET - Pakistani captain Afridi says pacer Shoaib Akhtar doubtful for India match
  • Date: 30th March 2011
  • Summary: MOHALI, PUNJAB, INDIA (MARCH 29, 2011) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** SHAHID AFRIDI, CAPTAIN OF PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM, SITTING AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTER ASKING AFRIDI A QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHAHID AFRIDI, CAPTAIN OF PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "He (Shoaib Akhtar) is not hundred percent but I think he's trying his level best. We will decide this evening." REPORTERS AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHAHID AFRIDI, CAPTAIN OF PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "We are enjoying our cricket because we are not the most favourite team for this competition. I think India is the most favourite team in this competition. I think we will play above our expectations in this competition so we are very confident, we are enjoying our cricket." REPORTERS MAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) SHAHID AFRIDI, CAPTAIN OF PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "I have not said anything like what the Indian media has been spreading around. I have been noticing Indian media has been making small issues unnecessarily big. I have not said anything negative against Sachin Tendulkar; no doubt he is a great player. If someone asks me a question regarding his century, obviously as a captain I wouldn't say I will allow him to make a hundred easily. I would like the India media to have a positive response to us, a lot of tension between India and Pakistan can be credited to the media." REPORTERS SITTING AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) SHAHID AFRIDI, CAPTAIN OF PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING "It is big in itself that we are playing in India; it has always been our wish that we play in India. Indian cricket fans want us to play against India, Pakistan cricket fans want us to play against India. Cricket has always made the bond between India and Pakistan stronger, hopefully the bond is strengthened even further in the future. No matter what the result is, hopefully a game of good cricket is played so that the spectators enjoy the match." REPORTER STANDING. AFRIDI LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 14th April 2011 05:21
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India, India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9B41CQ21ZI23LNCM05L8CN3Z
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Pakistan are considering playing their controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in Wednesday's (March 30) World Cup semi-final against India after his international career appeared to be over.
    Shoaib, 35, who will retire after the tournament, has not played since Pakistan's loss to New Zealand in the group stages.
    Media reports said he had fallen out of favour after an argument with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who dropped Ross Taylor twice in one over. Taylor went on to score a match-winning century.
    "He is not hundred percent but I think he's trying his level best. We will decide this evening," said captain Shahid Afridi at a news conference on Tuesday (March 29).
    Cricket fever will hit crescendo when the neighbours, who have fought three wars since their 1947 independence, meet in Mohali with the dreams of two cricket-crazy nations resting on their shoulders.
    Watching them from the stands will be the Prime Ministers of both countries, along with a large number of politicians, industrialists, celebrities and fans lucky enough to grab a ticket.
    Afridi said that Pakistan were relaxed ahead of the match as they are the underdogs and are not under any pressure.
    "We are enjoying our cricket because we are not the most favourite team for this competition. I think India is the most favourite team in this competition. I think we will play above our expectations in this competition so we are very confident, we are enjoying our cricket," he said.
    Afridi accused the Indian media of conducting a negative campaign against his team, saying that remarks he made about Sachin Tendulkar were taken out of context.
    "I have not said anything like what the Indian media has been spreading around. I have been noticing Indian media has been making small issues unnecessarily big," he said.
    "I have not said anything negative against Sachin Tendulkar; no doubt he is a great player. If someone asks me a question regarding his century, obviously as a captain I wouldn't say I will allow him to make a hundred easily. I would like the India media to have a positive response to us, a lot of tension between India and Pakistan can be credited to the media."
    The Pakistani skipper, who is also the leading wicket taker in the tournament with 21 scalps, hoped that the match would help strengthen ties between the two countries.
    "It is big in itself that we are playing in India; it has always been our wish that we play in India, Indian cricket fans want us to play against India, Pakistan cricket fans want us to play against India." he said.
    "Cricket has always made the bond between India and Pakistan stronger, hopefully the bond is strengthened even further in the future. No matter what the result is, hopefully a game of good cricket is played so that the spectators enjoy the match."
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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