Islamabad, April 12: Commenting on Indo-Pak engagement under their resumed dialogue process, Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has said it is good that both the nations are meeting at the highest level again.
Talking about Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s telephone call to him before his cricket diplomacy visit to India to watch the March 30 Indo-Pak World Cup semifinal match, Afridi said: “Prime Minister Gilani called me and asked me what the preparation for the match was like. He told me that he would be coming to see the match along with a group of other people from Pakistan. For us, it actually helped with the confidence that they were coming.”
“Every match has its pressure… playing against India after so long… so there were a lot of expectations. But it’s good that the two countries are meeting at the highest level again, the Dawn quoted the Pakistan skipper, as saying in a television interview.
When asked how he reacted when Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulakar’s catches were dropped thrice, first by Misbah-ul-Haq, then Younis Khan, and later Umar Akmal, Afridi replied: “The words that came to my mind cannot be repeated on air (laughing). But it’s quite obvious when you drop a batsman let alone the Indian master, he will make you pay.”
Pakistan, considered underdogs before the start of the 2011 World Cup, made it to the last four stage of the tournament before their campaign ended in a 29-run defeat at the hands of India in the semi final clash at Mohali on March 30. However, the team received a hero’s welcome on their return.
The flamboyant allrounder also expressed his gratitude towards some former Pakistan players for helping the team in crucial times.
“I would particularly like to thank Imran Khan for his support. Wasim Akram, Ramiz Raja, Saeed Anwar, Moin Khan and Rashid Latif were all a big help. In this country when you are down, people try to bury you even further and you have to lift yourself up. But without the help of these guys it would have been impossible,” Afridi said.
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