Shahid Afridi leads from the front ... !!

Shahid Afridi has proven that he leads from the front, as he has done brilliantly in the World Cup. He was the leading wicket taker during the mega event by picking 21 wickets.

In spite of losing the crunch match against India by 29 runs in the semi final, the way he has performed his duties to combine the team which was facing number of controversies, is exceptional. This impressive captaincy by Afridi has provided  new hope to the shattered Pakistani side, as team Pakistan has started believing in themselves. Therefore, Afridi received a welcoming and positive response from the nation on his return to Pakistan.

Afridi has gelled Pakistan’s team together which is evident in the body language of the team.

The skipper said after the semi-final, "I am proud of my team and the boys have done a great job in this World Cup. A few of the youngsters are very promising and we played as a unit. Winning and losing is something different but we really played really good cricket and no one was expecting us to play cricket like this. As a captain I'm very happy."

The men in green won six out of the eight matches they played in the World Cup. Pakistan brought down Sri Lanka and Australia in the World Cup round matches. They also defeated West Indies comprehensively in the quarter final.

Afridi led his side positively in the mega tournament. He was playing to win.

Afridi added, "We have played better than those sides [of 2003 and 2007] and they were good sides. We didn't have much hope from this side but I have respect for my team".

The Pakistan Cricket Board handed over the captaincy to Afridi because there was no other choice available at the time. Afridi’s career as a captain started in 2009 in South Africa against West Indies in the Champions Trophy. He has played 29 matches as the One Day International captain. Under his captaincy, Pakistan has 15 victories and one ended in no-result. The 13 losses under his captaincy included some thrilling and exciting matches.

In the World Cup matches, Pakistan played under Afridi’s captaincy and he took 21 wickets in 8 matches. He was the man of the match twice, once each against Sri Lanka and Canada.

Boom Boom also has done a great job by bringing together many senior players  like Shoaib Akthar, Abdul Razzaq and Younis khan, who had not gotten along with the team in the past. Afridi also encouraged the youngsters in the squad which definitely lifted the team spirit and energy.

On paper, Afridi's record as captain is notable with 15 wins and 12 losses in 28 games (and one no-result). Results have been in his favor and apart from these figures; he has gathered the team in the most difficult times. His impact on the team is wonderful. Boom Boom always encourages and motivates the team which makes him such a vital character in Pakistani cricket.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to retain Afridi as skipper of Pakistani side for the upcoming tour of the Caribbean. This is great decision indeed which will help team Pakistan to become a top side.

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Intikhab Alam sees West Indies tour an opportunity for younger players

Intikhab Alam manager of the Pakistani cricket thinks the Caribbean tour is an opportunity for young players to prove their talent.

Intikhab said this while speaking to the media about the upcoming tour of the Caribbean at Gaddafi Stadium.

Team Pakistan had suffered during the World Cup 2011 because of players not fit enough to give their 100 %.

The selection of over aged Akthar in the team playing the semi-final was a million dollar question.

The Pakistani side committed a number of blunders on the field courtesy old hands (Younis Khan, Misbah Ul Haq, Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq) while the  younger players (Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad) fielded brilliantly.

Aged players failed to convert singles into doubles and doubles into triples.

Many ex-cricketers have emphasised the need to include young blood in the side. Otherwise Team Pakistan will be facing the same crisis in the next World Cup.

The PCB has decided to select several uncapped players for the tour of West Indies.

Last week, selection committee of PCB announced 16-man Twenty20 and ODI squad for the upcoming tour of the Caribbean.

They selected new players Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Sadaf Hussain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman in the team.

The Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi also wanted to rest the senior members of the team.

Pakistan’s coach Waqar Younis considers the tour of Caribbean as the perfect opportunity for young guns in the side. Pakistani Coach wants new players to take this opportunity to replace seniors.

Younis said; “The tour will be important for youngsters and it will be a test for them,”

Pakistan team started their two day training camp at Gaddafi Stadium today.

Intikhab said, “We will have around four to five days before the series gets underway and that will be ample time for the players to adapt to the playing conditions in St Lucia.

Team Pakistan will reach West Indies on April 16 and tour will start with a warm up match on April 18. The only Twenty20 will be played in St Lucia on April 21. ODI series of five matches will start on April 23 and the test matches will be played in the middle of next month.

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