Lockheed F-16
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My performance is for the soldiers fighting in Swat: Afridi
KARACHI: Shahid Afridi could be at the helm of Pakistans title defense in the 2010 World Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean in nine months time. But the seasoned all-rounder is not really happy about it. Its not that Afridi doesnt want to be Pakistans Twenty20 captain and will certainly accept the responsibility if the offer is made. Its just that he is unhappy over the fact that Pakistan will remain as World Twenty20 champions for just about nine months instead for a normal two-year period. I fail to understand why the next (Twenty20) World Cup will be played in just nine months time, Afridi said on his arrival here at the Jinnah Terminal on Wednesday. We should have remained as world champions for two years. People would have remembered our victory and it would have been more enjoyable, stressed Afridi. Pakistans reign as world Twenty20 champions will be a short one as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to hold the next edition of the biennial tournament in the West Indies in the April-May 2010. The multi-nation tournament scheduled for the West Indies in 2010 was shortened from a Champions Trophy to be another World Twenty20. The decision was taken because the 2008 Champions Trophy was postponed by 12 months due to security worries in Pakistan. The next tournament should have been scheduled a bit later, but cricket is no more a sport, its becoming a business everywhere, lamented Afridi. The Karachi-based Afridi was the star of the tournament for Pakistan and was unlucky not to get rewarded with the player of the tournament award after finishing the spectacle with 11 wickets, 176 runs and a series of match-winning performances including the semifinal and the final. Its a great turn-around for the Afridi, who seemed to be in the twilight of his international career till early this summer with many experts fearing that he might never be able to regain his batting form that once made him the most feared hitter in world cricket. Afridi dedicated his all-round show in the World Twenty20 to the people suffering in northern Pakistan. My performance is for the soldiers fighting in Swat and the people suffering there, said Afridi, who returned home with team-mates Shoaib Malik and Fawad Alam. Afridi said that it was a united team effort that helped Pakistan to win their first world title in 17 years. We were all aware that the World Cup was of immense importance fir Pakistan was with so much happening here, Afridi said. The guys motivated really themselves for this World Cup and won it with a united effort. Afridi requested for a 15-day rest and will skip the three-match Test series during the tour of Sri Lanka that will get underway from June 28. But he would join the team ahead of the five-match one-day series that will be followed by a one-off Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka. While Afridi had a detailed conversation with reporters, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik didnt have much to say. Its a great honour for Pakistan and we are all proud of it, said Malik.
KARACHI: Shahid Afridi could be at the helm of Pakistans title defense in the 2010 World Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean in nine months time. But the seasoned all-rounder is not really happy about it. Its not that Afridi doesnt want to be Pakistans Twenty20 captain and will certainly accept the responsibility if the offer is made. Its just that he is unhappy over the fact that Pakistan will remain as World Twenty20 champions for just about nine months instead for a normal two-year period. I fail to understand why the next (Twenty20) World Cup will be played in just nine months time, Afridi said on his arrival here at the Jinnah Terminal on Wednesday. We should have remained as world champions for two years. People would have remembered our victory and it would have been more enjoyable, stressed Afridi. Pakistans reign as world Twenty20 champions will be a short one as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to hold the next edition of the biennial tournament in the West Indies in the April-May 2010. The multi-nation tournament scheduled for the West Indies in 2010 was shortened from a Champions Trophy to be another World Twenty20. The decision was taken because the 2008 Champions Trophy was postponed by 12 months due to security worries in Pakistan. The next tournament should have been scheduled a bit later, but cricket is no more a sport, its becoming a business everywhere, lamented Afridi. The Karachi-based Afridi was the star of the tournament for Pakistan and was unlucky not to get rewarded with the player of the tournament award after finishing the spectacle with 11 wickets, 176 runs and a series of match-winning performances including the semifinal and the final. Its a great turn-around for the Afridi, who seemed to be in the twilight of his international career till early this summer with many experts fearing that he might never be able to regain his batting form that once made him the most feared hitter in world cricket. Afridi dedicated his all-round show in the World Twenty20 to the people suffering in northern Pakistan. My performance is for the soldiers fighting in Swat and the people suffering there, said Afridi, who returned home with team-mates Shoaib Malik and Fawad Alam. Afridi said that it was a united team effort that helped Pakistan to win their first world title in 17 years. We were all aware that the World Cup was of immense importance fir Pakistan was with so much happening here, Afridi said. The guys motivated really themselves for this World Cup and won it with a united effort. Afridi requested for a 15-day rest and will skip the three-match Test series during the tour of Sri Lanka that will get underway from June 28. But he would join the team ahead of the five-match one-day series that will be followed by a one-off Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka. While Afridi had a detailed conversation with reporters, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik didnt have much to say. Its a great honour for Pakistan and we are all proud of it, said Malik.
