Malik backs Afridi as World Cup captain

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has backed Shahid Afridi as the man to lead the team in the World Cup starting next month.

Malik, who was left out of the 15-man squad announced for the mega event in which the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not name the captain, said that a change would not benefit the team.

While Afridi has been tipped to retain the captaincy, the PCB will make a formal announcement after weeks of speculation that the all-rounder may be replaced by Test skipper Misbahul Haq. The PCB decided against naming the leader when it announced the final World Cup squad with former cricketers lashing out at the decision saying that it was not in the best interest of the team.

Malik, too, believed that Afridi is the right choice to continue leading the team.

“Afridi should be retained as captain for the World Cup,” said Malik. The change in captaincy at this stage is in no way in the interest of the team.”

The former captain also dismissed the notion that Misbah’s fine form made him deserving to lead the side in the tournament.

“It’s not necessary to appoint him [Misbah] as captain on the basis of his Test performance,” said Malik.

“Misbah’s form may get affected with the added burden of captaincy which may hurt the team combination.”

Meanwhile, Malik was relieved after he was named the captain of the Punjab team in the upcoming Pentangular Cup.

“Doubts that have been raised over me should end after my appointment as captain in the Pentangular Cup.”

Malik along with leg-spinner Danish Kaneria failed to get clearance from the PCB Integrity Committee which probed three players including wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal on suspicion of links with bookies. While Akmal was selected for the World Cup as well as the ongoing One-Day International leg of the New Zealand tour, the two players were overlooked. The pair is also expected to lose the new PCB central contracts which are due to be announced shortly.

Pak captain for World Cup to be named on Feb 4: Butt

 Pakistan's captain for next month's World Cup in the sub-continent would be named on February 4, a day before the final match of their ongoing one-day series in New Zealand.

Talking to the Pakistani media in Napier on Monday, Butt, however, refused to say which among all-rounder Shahid Afridi and Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq would be given the reins of the team for the mega-event starting February 19.

"We will announce the captain on February 4 that is decided now," he added.

Butt also disclosed that India were willing to play a short series against Pakistan in England sometime this year.

"We have made good progress in talks with the Indian board to resume bilateral cricket ties and they have indicated they are willing to resume ties," he said.

But the PCB chief made it clear that any final decision on resumption of bilateral cricket ties with India would rest completely with decisions taken at the government level.

"Hopefully, decisions would be made at the government level on the series but the Indian board has shown its willingness to play which is good news for us," Butt said.

The PCB chief admitted that it was important for international cricket and for Pakistan to have bilateral ties with India.

"The financial aspect of playing India regularly in bilateral series is very important for us," he explained.

India has not played Pakistan in a bilateral series since late 2007 and had cancelled its tour to Pakistan in early 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks in November, 2008
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Pakistan gain more from series than NZ

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis believes his team will gain more from the current series than New Zealand heading into the one-day cricket World Cup in the subcontinent next month.

Pakistan levelled the six-match series at 1-1 with a 43-run win at Christchurch last Saturday and go into tomorrow's fourth match at McLean Park in full confidence.

Irrespective of the results in the final three matches, however, Younis said Pakistan would be better prepared for the World Cup than New Zealand, given the conditions here were vastly different to what both teams will face on the subcontinent.

"This is going to help us more than New Zealand," he told reporters today.

"New Zealand are more used to these conditions and we are used to conditions back home in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India. We'll probably cope better with that than them. We're pretty used to playing in our conditions but this series probably"It seems whatever balance we go in with, we don't quite have enough batters or not quite enough bowlers, and maybe that just could be the conditions," Vettori said today.

"New Zealand conditions dictate you might need that extra seamer, but when we get to India you can play the more fiddly bowler. It's probably not like for like but you just want guys in form and feeling good about themselves, and most of that will come from winning."

Meanwhile, Younis is demanding more of the same from his team tomorrow.

Their approach on Saturday was very much the Pakistan of old. They built a solid platform over the first 40 overs, courtesy of Mohammad Hafeez's maiden hundred, without worrying about the run-rate, before their late hitters, in particular Shahid Afridi, did the damage in the final 10.

"We try to make sure we get into a situation where the middle order and lower middle order comes into play. That's exactly what happened," Younis said.

Pakistan gain more from series than NZ

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis believes his team will gain more from the current series than New Zealand heading into the one-day cricket World Cup in the subcontinent next month.

Pakistan levelled the six-match series at 1-1 with a 43-run win at Christchurch last Saturday and go into tomorrow's fourth match at McLean Park in full confidence.

Irrespective of the results in the final three matches, however, Younis said Pakistan would be better prepared for the World Cup than New Zealand, given the conditions here were vastly different to what both teams will face on the subcontinent.

"This is going to help us more than New Zealand," he told reporters today.

"New Zealand are more used to these conditions and we are used to conditions back home in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India. We'll probably cope better with that than them. We're pretty used to playing in our conditions but this series probably"It seems whatever balance we go in with, we don't quite have enough batters or not quite enough bowlers, and maybe that just could be the conditions," Vettori said today.

"New Zealand conditions dictate you might need that extra seamer, but when we get to India you can play the more fiddly bowler. It's probably not like for like but you just want guys in form and feeling good about themselves, and most of that will come from winning."

Meanwhile, Younis is demanding more of the same from his team tomorrow.

Their approach on Saturday was very much the Pakistan of old. They built a solid platform over the first 40 overs, courtesy of Mohammad Hafeez's maiden hundred, without worrying about the run-rate, before their late hitters, in particular Shahid Afridi, did the damage in the final 10.

"We try to make sure we get into a situation where the middle order and lower middle order comes into play. That's exactly what happened," Younis said.

Pakistani Cricket Stars Behind the Scene for An Ad Shot for Cricket World Cup 2011