Afridi
did lead Pakistan impressively to the World Cup semifinals but his team flopped
against old rivals India in Mohali on March 30.
Now
Afridi, who has been retained as Pakistan’s limited-overs captain following the
World Cup defeat, has set his sights on the ICC World Twenty20 Championship to
be played in Sri Lanka next year.
“The
only way I can really overcome the disappointment of our defeat against India
is by winning the Twenty20 World Cup,” Afridi told Arab News before his
departure for West Indies on Thursday.
Afridi,
31, said that he is focusing on the 2012 World Twenty20 Championship because he
doesn’t know whether he will still be playing international cricket in 2015
when the next edition of the World Cup takes place in Australia and New
Zealand.
“I
would love to be around for the 2015 World Cup but that’s like four years away.
That’s why I’m just focusing on the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and want us
to take the right steps to ensure that we raise a team that is good enough to
win that tournament,” he stressed.
Pakistan
reached the final of the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 with
Afridi emerging as one of their best players in the event. Later he played a
pivotal role in Pakistan’s title-winning triumph in the second edition of the
tournament in 2009 in England.
Afridi
was Pakistan’s captain in the third ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies in
2010 when the Greenshirts fell to Australia in the semifinals from a seemingly-winning
position.
Afridi,
who is regarded as one of the most destructive all-rounders in the Twenty20
format, is confident that Pakistan can go all the way in Sri Lanka which will
host the next edition of the hugely-popular tournament.
“We
have won the Twenty20 World Cup before and we can do it again,” he said.
But
Afridi was quick to add that Pakistan will have to put together a winning
formula in the lead up to the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Championship. And to
achieve that, Afridi believes that Pakistan will have to learn a thing or two
from India.
“The
Indians started preparing for the World Cup almost two years before the event
began and then went on to win it,” he said. “We, too, will have to start right
away in our preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup. We should be selecting
players for limited-overs matches with an eye on that assignment. That’s the
only way we can prepare ourselves in the best possible manner.”
Afridi,
who has scored 671 runs and taken 53 wickets from 42 T20 Internationals, is of
the view that Pakistan can bank on the existing pool of bowlers but their
batting line-up is a different story.
“We
have some of the world’s best spinners when it comes to limited-overs matches,
especially Twenty20 Internationals. Same is the case with our pacers which is
why I’m sure we won’t face many problems in raising a strong bowling attack for
the Twenty World Cup,” he said.
“But
when it comes to batsmen, I’m not that sure. We lack quality batters both at
the top and the middle-order. We need some really good, young guys who can
strengthen our batting in the Twenty20 format.”
Afridi
is hoping that national selectors will sniff out young blood to help Pakistan
overcome this weakness. “It’s a big challenge for our selectors but I’m sure
that with the sort of talent we have, Pakistan will get quality batters for
Twenty20 matches soon.”
Personally,
Afridi is working hard to improve his batting after flopping with the bat in
the World Cup.
“As
captain and a senior player I believe it’s my responsibility to do contribute
with the bat too,” said Afridi, who took 21 wickets in the World Cup. “We will
be playing our next series in the West Indies and I’m confident of regaining my
batting form there.”
Pakistan
will play one Twenty20 International, five One-day Internationals and two Tests
during the tour of West Indies. Afridi will lead Pakistan in the six
limited-over games while Misbah will take over the captaincy for the two Tests.
