With Pakistan's first warmup match only hours away, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi was in no mood for his team to ease themselves into the Twenty/20 World Cup.

By: Saj Sadiq

27th April 2010

 

With Pakistan's first warmup match only hours away, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi was in no mood for his team to ease themselves into the Twenty/20 World Cup.

"We want to get off to a flyer and the importance of the warm up games should not be underestimated" stated Afridi to PakPassion.net

Pakistan begin their defence of the Twenty/20 World Champions crown against Bangladesh on Saturday 1st May in St Lucia, but Afridi's focus currently is entirely on the warmup matches against the Windward XI today and then Zimbabwe on Thursday 29th April.

Despite Pakistan ultimately becoming world champions in England last year, their start to the tournament last June was shambolic to say the least. Heavy defeats to South Africa and India were not the ideal preparation going into a crucial opening match against England and Afridi is keen not to go into the tournament in the Caribbean making the same mistakes.

"The Bangladesh match is the first match in the tournament for us and it is a vital game, so we must make sure that we are fully prepared, ready and in good form ahead of the first match. This is why the two warmup matches are crucial".

Afridi who was one of Pakistan's mainstays in last years remarkable victory in England also stated to PakPassion.net that his team will go into the warmup matches as if the games against Windward XI and Zimbabwe were the "real thing".

"The matches against Windward XI and Zimbabwe will be used as vital practice for the real thing, We want to take the matches very seriously and ensure that our players make full use of the warmup fixtures. We dont want to start slowly and would much rather go into the tournament showing some decent form".