LAHORE: Pakistan Twenty20 International captain Shahid Afridi has urged his players to raise their game in upcoming competitions following a 1-2 defeat in New Zealand last week, singling out Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad as two players who have failed to live up to expectations.
Pakistan won the first match by 16 runs before going down tamely by 10 wickets and 95 runs respectively in the next two games – their worst T20I defeats in terms of wickets and runs.
Afridi did not mince words in warning his players ahead of the Asia Cup (February 24 to March 6) in Bangladesh, followed by the World Twenty20 in March-April in India.
“We failed to fulfil what was expected of us in the Twenty20 series in New Zealand,” said Afridi on Monday (January 25). “We did win the first game but in the last two we didn’t show the right kind of fighting spirit.”
Afridi said his team was running out of time to get its act right. “If we don’t learn from our mistakes and lift our performances, then we will struggle in the Asia Cup and then the World Twenty20,” he said. “Umar and Shehzad have got enough chances which not many players get for Pakistan at the highest level, so they have to prove their worth before time runs out for them.”
Afridi himself was named man of the match in the first game, where he scored 23 in eight balls first up and then returned 2 for 26 from his four overs. But his performance in the next two games was unremarkable – 7 and 0 for 38, and 1 for 27 and 8.
“The captain’s performance matters and I know my scoring runs and taking wickets is the key which I have to also lift in the next two events,” accepted Afridi, who has said he will retire from international cricket after the World T20.
Pakistan are currently playing a three-match One-Day International series in New Zealand. They lost the first game in Wellington by 70 runs on Monday.
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