Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is banking on ageing fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to come up trumps for his side in their bid to lift the World Cup trophy for the first time in nearly two decades.
Afridi said Akhtar is working hard on his fitness and hoping to give his best in what could be his last World Cup.
“Let me tell you that Shoaib Akhtar is working really, really hard because he wants to be at his best in the World Cup. In terms of fitness, Shoaib may be a bit down but he is totally committed and is improving day by day,” Afridi said.
“I won’t be surprised if he is back at his brilliant best at the World Cup,” he said ahead of Pakistan’s first warm-up game against Bangladesh at Mirpur on Tuesday.
The sub-continental tracks are known to assist slow bowlers and Afridi said his side could go with an extra spinner in the World Cup, starting here on February 19.
“The playing conditions would be quite different to what we encountered during our tour of New Zealand. Here we can explore the idea of playing an extra specialist spinner,” Afridi said.
