Following their 6-wicket loss against arch-rivals India in Kolkata, under-fire Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has revealed that he does not pay much attention to the reactions on social media pages. The Hindu reported the charismatic all-rounder opening up on the tumultuous relationship between fans and the cricketers.
Pakistan’s dismal performance in the high-octane clash at the Eden Gardens had led to a massive uproar back home. Afridi played down the reactions by alluding to the fact that only genuine affection can breed agony.
The 36-year old said, “People who get angry with us also love us. In the sub-continent, cricket is big. We have to take these things positively and perform because they love us a lot. We shouldn’t mind if they say something.”
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Focusing on the need to prevent social media from disrupting their concentration, he added, “Even before the tournament started, people had written us off. I have stayed away from Twitter and Facebook. But, I know how people are reacting back home. Whatever happens, that is a thing for the future, but right now, all we can do is perform well.”
The pitch which ended up being a raging turner was criticized by former players for the lack of assistance to the batsmen. When asked to express his opinion, Afridi claimed, "Sometimes, in Pakistan games, they make the pitch differently.”
Pakistan will have to regroup quickly as they take on the table-toppers New Zealand in Mohali. However, the leg-spinner remained confident about his team’s chances and wanted his players to learn from their mistakes.
Afridi asserted, “If you create a panic situation in the team, it will be difficult to sort things out. Miracles always don’t work in cricket. We have to stop repeating small mistakes and play good cricket. New Zealand has been playing well, but the conditions are different here. We have the hunger to win the match.”
New Zealand Coach lauds his side’s adaptability
On the other hand, Blackcaps Head Coach, Mike Hesson attributed the flexibility in the squad as a major reason for their impressive showing against India and Australia. He also praised the adaptability of his team in tackling adverse conditions.
Hesson affirmed, “We picked a squad to suit all conditions. Perhaps, in the past, we have tried to play the New Zealand way in the sub-continent. But, in this tournament, even though we have played just two games, we have adapted a lot better.”
While being wary of Pakistan’s unpredictable bowling attack, the 41-year old believed that their fragile batting lineup could be targeted. He felt, “Their bowling attack is very challenging. We have been fortunate enough to have played them recently. As a batting unit, they are relatively predictable and that gives us more opportunity with the ball.”
