Daily Times

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has asked supporters to rally behind the country’s players following a humiliating setback in the One-Day International series against England.

The green shirts’ performance against a “B-grade” England side was harshly criticised by fans and former players. Coaches Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis were ordered to leave.

However, Shahid Afridi, one of Pakistan’s most popular cricketers, believes that when players are sad after a terrible performance, they need the support of fans and critics.

“At the moment, the Pakistan national team’s players are the best we have in terms of talent and ability. In recent years, these players have regularly delivered. Some of them, in fact, have been performing for quite some time. These are our finest players, and we must make the most of their abilities,” he added in a video message.

We need to keep the players engaged and eager for success, and we need to assist them in difficult times, according to the great batter.

“As long as they battle it out on the field, I can accept the team losing. Cricket, in my opinion, has evolved significantly in recent years. Now, the greatest defence is to attack, and there is no other way to succeed but to play with the goal to attack, especially in white-ball formats.”

“Our guys are capable of attacking or blocking,” Afridi added. Perhaps, especially for the ODI format, we need to find a midway ground. All of our athletes must believe in themselves and play to their strengths.”

Afridi, who was a key member of Pakistan’s ICC World T20 2009 victory, believes the current team has the potential to match the achievements of the Younis Khan-led 2009 team, especially since the tournament is being held in the UAE, where Pakistan has played a lot of cricket with success against some of the world’s best teams.

“We have a strong record in the UAE and have done well against some top-ranked teams, which bodes well for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In the UAE, spinners and hitters will play an important role. We have the potential to be the best if the ball starts to reverse. If we play to our strength, we have a good chance of winning the tournament.”

He concluded that he is still devoted to fitness and cricket and that he would continue to play franchise and club cricket as long as he enjoys the game and is healthy, as his late father had requested.