Shahid Afridi, the captain of Pakistan’s squad for the World Twenty20, believes that not being selected to play in the IPL is a “blessing in disguise” for his players. “No I don’t have any regrets at all. In a way it is a blessing in disguise for all our players that we are not playing in the IPL before the World Cup,” Afridi told PTI.
“Given the problems that have besieged Pakistan cricket in recent months it is good that we have got time to work together as a team in the World Cup training camp, it has allowed us to settle down and focus on the World Twenty20,” Afridi said.
Pakistan’s cricketers were unanimously cold-shouldered by IPL franchises despite being put up for auction before the current season of the tournament. This was the second successive year that Pakistan players missed out on the IPL, after being left out of the 2009 edition due to political tensions between the two countries. On that occasion, Pakistan went on to win the World Twenty20 tournament that followed.
The Pakistan squad is undergoing rigorous training in Lahore in a bid to improve fielding and general fitness before the World Twenty20, and Afridi said it did not give his players time to follow the IPL. “We really are not following the IPL closely. We don’t know who is playing or who is not playing because the purpose of holding this training camp has been to gel the players and allow them to prepare as a team for the World Twenty20,” he said.
Being the captain and most senior member in the team, Afridi admitted he had to shoulder extra responsibility. “[If we win] I would definitely feel that I have achieved the biggest landmark of my career, I want the team to do well in the World Cup. It is a big ambition for me and I know as a senior player I will have to show the way in every department of the game,” he said.
The World Twenty20 is scheduled to begin from April 30 with Pakistan slated to play Bangladesh and Australia in the league phase, on May 1st and 2nd respectively.