Talking to the media at the airport, Afridi said the team was ready to confidently start its campaign in the world cup which would be an important and tougher assignment as the entire nation would be looking forward with huge expectations from their heroes.
He said the team would need prayers and good wishes of the nation for success in Sri Lanka where Pakistan would be playing all its group stage matches. The entire team had to perform as a unit to come up to the expectations of the fans back home, he said.
He gave credit for teams success in New Zealand to the entire team. The team staff and the players all contributed in the success, he added. He said for winning , the entire team had to perform.Matches could not be won on one or two performances though they were important, he added.
He hoped Pakistan's pace attack which had some problems in New Zealand would rise to the occasion in Sri Lanka. He said Shoaib Akhtar was fully fit and Sohail Tanveer who had come back to international cricket after some gap was slowly gaining form and would be in full form when he bowls in the world cup matches. Similarly Umar Gul would also make his contribution with the new ball.
He said he had been informed that the prime minister would receive the team in Islamabad on February 9 and after attending that reception, he said the team on February 10 would leave for Dhaka where the fourteen nation extravaganza begin on February 19.
Commenting on the ban imposed on Pakistani trio for their alleged involvement in 'spot fixing' he said it was a 'sad day' for Pakistan cricket.
Triumphant Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi said on Tuesday that the recent off-the-field events have made the national cricket team very tough and is now hungry for success.
Afridi said that the spot-fixing scandal cannot be ignored, but with just 10 days to the World Cup, the team had its focus on the game only. “The team has become mentally tougher and is hungry for success," said the captain on his return after a successful tour of New Zealand.
