Skipper Afridi and Misbah string together a rebuilding partnership

 Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi looks more dangerous in this World Cup with every passing match. The Pakistan skipper has 14 scalps at an astonishing 5/21 in his 'collection' in the three games that his team has played so far, and looks set to add more to his kitty against New Zealand on Tuesday.

His unconventional, fastish leg-breaks, flippers and zooters have left many bamboozled since the last couple of years, and right now, he looks to be Pakistan's biggest weapon. Afridi's deputy, Misbah-ul-Haq, was full of praise for his captain's wonderful bowling skills, which have become more lethal on Sri Lanka's slow wickets.

"I think in all conditions, especially here, Afridi is a difficult bowler to handle. He has variation, doesn't give time to the batsman. If he's bowling well, it's tough to play him, especially in these conditions, where he is getting the ball to grip the surface and drift it. It's tough for the batsmen to guess where the ball will go, how much it will drift," said Misbah. He feels the 'Afridi show' is helping the team no end. "His bowling is a strong point for us, especially the kind of aggression he's showing is very helpful for the team."

How well the team spirit is at the moment can be gauged when Misbah, an ODI captaincy candidate himself till some time back, goes on to praise Afridi the leader. "It's really good for a team that its captain is doing well. Every time we have played here, he has been the Man of the Match. However, others also need to play well and take responsibility. It takes pressure off him. Just because he's doing well doesn't mean that we put pressure on him," Misbah felt.

So, the talk about groupism (Misbah and Afridi supporters) therefore goes out of the window. Both work in tandem. "Of course, I give my input whenever it is required. We consult each other. He (Afridi) is doing the job very well, leading by example and is gelling the team well so whenever he needs my advice I give it and share my opinion with him," Misbah said.

Curiously, Pakistan hasn't had a team with senior players in good terms with one another.

Misbah, enjoying a rich run of form, knows well that the Kiwis will target him, but he underplayed that aspect. "They can't target just me, because before me there are three-four batsmen and if they get hundreds, then they won't be targeting me. Each of the six batsmen is important in our team," he asserted.

He also showed faith in Pakistan's struggling openers, Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmad Shehzad. "We have confidence in our openers. If they flop in one or two innings, it doesn't matter, it happens in cricket. Our top three are good, and there is no pressure on us if the top order fails. We senior players have to handle the pressure and that's the advantage of having us," Misbah said.

Misbah admitted that there were chinks in the Pakistani armoury, and they could be exposed on a wrong day for his team. "I think there is always some room for improvement. We need improvement in every department, especially in our batting, where we haven't used our Powerplays well," he said. Pakistan were shot out for 184 in 43 overs in their last game against Canada.

Playing at a new venue makes this unpredictable side's performance even more unpredictable. "We don't have stats of this ground, especially how it plays under lights. You have no idea how the pitch will play, though it looks hard and has grass. It is a tough situation for us, but you have to handle these things properly as professionals," he said.

As long as this 36-year-old dependable bat is around in the middle, Pakistan shouldn't have much to worry. 

Akram predicts close Pak vs NZ contest

Former Pakistan skipper wants Pakistan to play offie Saeed Ajmal in all Cup games.

By Jepher Christopher Nickels

"Every game is important and Pakistan 's plan should be to top the group. They won an important match against Sri Lanka , but they batted badly against Canada . On the other hand, New Zealand may not be consistent but are surely a dangerous lot," former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram told Mobile ESPN on Monday evening from Kandy.

"The Kiwis have a few match winners like Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and all-rounders like skipper Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum who provide variety in the team. So it will be a close game," he added.

When asked about Pakistan 's strategy ahead of the game, Akram said: "It depends what the team management opts for, but I want Saeed Ajmal to play this tournament."

Akram also hailed the depth in batting in Shahid Afridi's team. "With skipper Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq coming lower down the order, Pakistan batting can actually be lethal against any bowling attack," he said.

He was also not in favour of playing three spinners and said the team should play pacers instead. "They got to go with at least three medium pacers. Afridi is bowling the best so they will have to pick between Abdur Rehman or Saeed Ajmal and I would prefer Ajmal because he is a wicket-taking bowler," Akram said.

The former swing specialist also praised Afridi for taking the team's pressure on his shoulders. "He is enjoying the pressure, he is performing in every game and he is actually playing much better. His leadership is improving as well. Pakistan should not lose any game from here on and must top their group. But after quarterfinals it's anybody's game."

Start giving us good starts, Afridi tells his openers

 Shahid Afridi is urging his openers to get their acts together ahead of the ‘important’ World Cup game against New Zealand at Pallekele on March 8.

The Pakistanis have recorded three wins in a row but so far their opening batsmen — Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad — have failed to click and for the Pakistan captain that’s a big cause for concern.

“We need a good start, our starts are not good considering the kind of players we have,” said Afridi, who almost single-handedly won Thursday’s match against underdogs Canada with 5-23 after Pakistan were bowled out for just 184.

In their first three World Cup matches here, the Hafeez-Shehzad partnership has just contributed a total 78 runs which is quite alarming considering the fact that two of Pakistan’s matches were against minnows Kenya and Canada.

Pakistan have the option of changing the opening combination by bringing in the experienced Kamran Akmal at the top but Afridi said that the tour selection committee will look into the matter ahead of Tuesday’s match against the Black Caps.

Afridi’s Pakistan beat the Black Caps 3-2 in their One-day International series in New Zealand last month but Afridi believes that the result won’t have much impact on their World Cup clash.

“I think that was a ODI series and this is the World Cup,” said Afridi.

“That (win) is behind us. Every team has come here well-prepared. I won’t say which team is favourite because the team that plays well on the given day will win. We will go all out for a win because it’s a very important game.”

On Thursday Afridi became the first bowler to capture three successive four wicket hauls in a World Cup and is now the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 14 victims.

But the flamboyant allrounder has so far failed to impress with the bat. Is Afridi’s lack of form with the bat bothering him?

“I am doing my best in batting and bowling and hope that I will come good in batting too,” he said. “I always focus on my bowling first because that’s my strength.”

Since the tournament began, Afridi has taken up the role of a very demanding captain and is always seen running from one teammate to another with advice or instruction during the course of a match. In fact one of his senior players — Shoaib Akhtar — even decsribed him as somebody who is really ‘hyper’.

“As their captain, I can’t just stand there and wait because then the entire team will be affected,” smiled Afridi.

Afridi, 31, has picked up almost half the wickets for Pakistan in their last three games — a performnace that is beginning to raise question marks over the performance of the rest of the bowling attack.

“Personally I always try to give my my best,” he said. “The coaches too are helping the bowlers and we’ve been taking wickets whenever we’ve needed them.”

New Zealand brace for in-form Pakistan

The pressure on the Test teams in Group A, unlike those scrumming in Group B, is of a milder nature. The teams in Group B are securing quarter-final qualification first and looking after their positions in the process. Unless Zimbabwe scores an unlikely upset, however, all four Test teams in Group A are ensured of a place in the knockouts. They are merely jostling for places at present. Of the strongest, New Zealand are the weakest. Their opponents on Tuesday, Pakistan, are the only team to win everything so far.

New Zealand have beaten Kenya and Zimbabwe - by a ten-wicket margin no less - and another victory against Canada will see them through. It's that brittle performance against Australia, however, that is an indication of the difficulty they will face against formidable sides. On paper, like previous New Zealand teams, this one also has the facets of a fighting outfit.

They have explosive hitters, theoretically bat extremely deep, and have an abundance of bowling options, fast and slow. Their fielding, as ever, is among the best. Their problems are a combination of form, poor technique, and impatience that led to several batsmen chasing and edging wide deliveries against Australia. It's the batting that needs fixing first, for without runs on the subcontinent there is little hope, and they'll have to do it against one of the tournament's most in-form bowling attacks. 

The odds on Pakistan being the only team with a 100% win record halfway into the league stage would have been rather high at the start of the World Cup. They weren't being talked up in the lead-up to the tournament - the spot-fixing scandal and the uncertainty over the one-day captaincy overshadowing their performances on the field. But they put Kenya and Canada away and in between those victories toppled tournament favourites Sri Lanka.

Their middle order has largely been solid, and the one time it failed - against Canada - their bowlers raised their game to meet the challenge. They've met and beaten New Zealand in a one-day series immediately preceeding the World cup. Play to potential and Pakistan will expect to dispatch them again tomorrow. Slip, and it could be the opening New Zealand need to rediscover their efficient game. 

Bangladesh may tour Pakistan in 2012 – Mustafa Kamal

Brushing aside the security concerns in Pakistan, the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Mustafa Kamal has made it clear that the senior team is not in a position to tour Pakistan before 2012. “Pakistan and Bangladesh should definitely play, there is nothing wrong in it. I had a fruitful meeting with Ejaz Butt in this regard but next year we will only be sending either our under 19 or academy team to Pakistan”, said the BCB Chief while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

“May be in 2012, we shall be in a position to play in Pakistan”, the BCB chief added.

While turning down the security fears, Mustafa Kamal stated that with the tight schedule of the national team, touring Pakistan next year is highly unlikely. “No, law and order issue is not there at all. If law and order would have been the issue then how come we would be sending our under 19 team to Pakistan? Because of our tight schedule and engagements we are not in a position to send our team to Pakistan next year”, said Mustafa Kamal is also the President of the Asian Cricket Council.