Afridi accuses Indian media of negative campaig

Shahid Afridi stretches during a training session in Mohali.—AFP Dawn News Updates

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi accused the Indian media on Monday of conducting a negative campaign against his team before Wednesday’s eagerly anticipated World Cup semi-final in Mohali.

“There is so much negativity in the Indian media. There is nothing positive to watch on the channels and we are just sticking together as a team and it is just the hotel and ground for us,” Afridi told a Pakistani news channel.“The only answer we can give is with our performance. We will try to give 110 per cent in this big match.“Everyone knows how big a match this is and the pressures that come with it. But we will just do our best whatever the result. After the match we just want to be content in our hearts we gave our best.”

Afridi also said Pakistan were considering playing their controversial fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar.

“I also want him to play but we have not taken a final decision as yet. And we have to take into consideration his match fitness and his form which we will see in the nets,”Afridi said.“We want him in such a high-profile match but we don’t want him for just four or five overs, we want him to bowl his full quota of overs,”

Pakistan have not played Akhtar, who has announced his decision to retire after the World Cup, since they lost to New Zealand in the pool matches.Afridi played down his remarks about not allowing Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar to score runs in the semi-final.“The Indian media has treated this negatively. There is never any doubt about Tendulkar’s greatness. But if someone approaches me and asks me about him (Tendulkar) obviously as Pakistan captain I will not say we will allow him to score runs I will say we will ensure he doesn’t get his 100th international century,” Afridi said.

The Pakistan skipper felt the dew factor would play an important role.“Yes, there is a lot of dew in the evenings but they are using chemicals to counter it. But it is a factor we will have to take into consideration at the toss,” he said.

He also expressed disappointment at remarks from Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik about the government keeping a close watch on the players in the semi-final because of last year’s spot-fixing scandal.“I don’t think he should have said such a thing at such a time,” Afridi said.