Pallekele (Sri Lanka), March 15 (IANS) Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, who earlier voiced concern over playing in India, Tuesday said his team was ready to play the quarter-final in any venue.
'It does not matter to us where we play our quarter-final. The biggest issue for us was to qualify for the knockout stage, and we have done that now,' Afridi said after beating Zimbabwe in the World Cup.
'We are ready to play our quarter-final at any venue now.
'What I said earlier is a thing of the past. Right now we are just happy to make (it to) the quarter-finals. If we remain in our confident mode, it does not matter where our venue is.'
Afridi had earlier said that playing in India will attract more pressure on the players. Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe Monday.
In the knock-out stage, India will host a quarter-final in Ahmedabad, a semi-final at Mohali) and the final at Mumbai.
Pakistan last toured India in 2007. The two countries have not played each other in a bilateral series due to strains in India-Pakistan ties.
Afridi reckoned that the team was over the spot-fixing controversy involving former captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif.
'The off-the-field problems for us are over now. The mood is one of confidence in the dressing room. We now just want to end our group with a win over Australia. We have the firepower to do that,' he said.
Pakistan play their last league match against defending champions Australia in Colombo March 19.
