Pakistan coach backs Afridi on India love row

Former Pakistani captain Javed Miandad has been at the forefront of the outrage over Afridi's comments at the weekend shortly after the team's delayed arrival for the World Twenty20 being played in India.

Coach Waqar Younis stood by his skipper Shahid Afridi Tuesday over his declaration that Pakistan's cricketers receive more love in India than back home, saying critics should stop stirring up trouble.
Former Pakistani captain Javed Miandad has been at the forefront of the outrage over Afridi's comments at the weekend shortly after the team's delayed arrival for the World Twenty20 being played in India.
But Younis said Afridi's critics were making something out of nothing and he should not be criticised for wearing his heart on his sleeve.
"This is something he felt. It's his emotions," the former fast bowler told reporters in Kolkata on the eve of Pakistan's opening match in the World Twenty20 against Bangladesh.
"I believe we should leave it at that rather than creating a controversy out of nothing. We are here to play cricket, to beat teams," he said ahead of Pakistan's opening rubber against Bangladesh.
"My message to the boys is just leave everything behind. This is about playing some quality cricket and playing for the nation."
In a press conference in Kolkata on Sunday, Afridi said that Pakistan had always enjoyed playing in India and "have been loved by Indians crowds more than crowds back home in Pakistan."
The comments raised eyebrows as Pakistan's build-up to the tournament has been embroiled in controversy over whether they would be allowed to travel to arch-rivals India. They agreed to take the trip only after negotiations with India over security arrangements and the shifting of their match against the hosts to Kolkata from Dharamsala.
Diplomatic tensions between the two countries have meant that the two teams have not played any bilateral series for more than three years, and their rivalry is restricted to multi-national tournaments such as the World T20.
India's batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday said Afridi's comments would help dull the hostility of the usually raucous home crowd at Eden Gardens, the venue for the much-awaited India-Pakistan tie on March 19.
"Emotions run high whenever India play Pakistan," Gavaskar told the NDTV news network.
"He (Afridi) said nice things - maybe you need it, maybe you don't. It will help as far as the crowd is concerned. It has ensured the crowds won't be overly hostile to him and the Pakistani team." 

I was trying to give a positive message: Shahid Afridi
Under attack in Pakistan for stating that cricketers from his country are loved more in India, captain Shahid Afridi on Tuesday sought to douse the fire by saying that he did not intend to demean his nation and was merely trying to give a "positive message" by showing respect to the fans here.
In an audio statement posted by the Pakistan Cricket Board on its Twitter handle, Afridi has clarified that he was not trying to belittle Pakistani fans during the now infamous post-arrival Press conference ahead of the ICC World Twenty20. "I am not just captain of the Pakistan cricket team but I am representing all the Pakistani people here and I think if one looks at my comment in a positive way then it is obvious that I did not mean to say that anybody else would matter more to me than Pakistani fans. My whole identity comes from Pakistan," Afridi said.
Afridi has been criticised for the statement made on Sunday with former captain Javed Miandad calling it shameful. The flamboyant all-rounder has also been issued a legal notice in Lahore for his comment.

 Wyatt in store for Kohli?
Can lightening strike twice? Could there be another proposal?
Two years on after England woman cricketer Danielle Wyatt took to twitter to profess her love and propose to Indian batting star Virat Kohli, will she do it again?
Wyatt, impressed by Indian batting star Virat Kohli's batting pyrotechnics against South Africa in the semifinal of the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, tweeted: 'Kholi marry me!!!
Perhaps, she misspelt his name in excitement, but she did get the opportunity to meet her charming man when India toured England later and also posed together for a picture.
And now, Wyatt is in India as part of England women's World T20 squad and could there be something brewing.
With the 27-year-old Kohli reportedly having broken up with Bollywood actress Anoushka Sharma, maybe Wyatt might just be sensing another chance.
Kohli is single and so is she and both are involved in the World T20 competition in India.
Wyatt evaded questions about Kohli by saying: Nothing about Kohli. Please!"
And when asked whether she would be meeting Kohli, the 24-year-old grinned and said: "I have met him before!"
That tweet continues to trend even today with fan comments as well as re-tweets.
It will be interesting to see if the two do cross paths. If India make it to the semifinal and so does the England women's team, the pair may face each other either at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi or the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, at the end of the month.
And if all goes well for them individually as well as for their respective teams, a World T20 title as well as them being a 'thing' could be an apt ending.
(James Jose)

'Big B' to sing national anthem before Indo-Pak match
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will sing the national anthem before the start of the marquee India-Pakistan World Twenty20 cricket match at the Eden Gardens March 19.
Bachchan has confirmed the development by retweeting a post in his official Twitter handle while sources in the Cricket Association of Bengal said this was an effort by its president Sourav Ganguly.
"The president was involved and the plan was on for a long time," CAB sources said.
While the 'Big B' will sing the national anthem in his signature baritone, Pakistan will also make their presence felt with classical singer Shafaqat Amanat Ali who is slated to sing the Pakistani National Anthem.