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Afridi ‘Right Choice’ for Captaincy

Afridi, who will miss the first match on Friday due to an ICC-ban, is scheduled to feature in the next game on Saturday. “My country needs me to do the captaincy for the coming two matches and it is a great honour if you are captain of your country,” Malik told reporters after unveiling the WorldCall Twenty20 Cup at the Dubai Sports City on Thursday.

“But I prefer to play just as a player more and I think Shahid Afridi is the right choice for this captaincy.

“We have been playing together for the past 11 years. I think he has the ability to gel the boys together and in my opinion he’s the right guy for the captaincy.

“Afridi has all the qualities to be a good captain. He is a great fighter. In the T20 format, you need all-rounders. He is one of the best all-rounders in the world. If someone like Afridi, who is good in all forms of the game, sitting at the dressing room, it gives confidence to all other players,” Malik said

“Unfortunately, he is not playing in Friday’s match, but he will play in the next game.”

Asked about the chances of Pakistan staging international cricket in the country, he said: “We would love to play international cricket in our country. Things are getting better. I am sure we will see international cricket in Pakistan soon.”

On the Dubai wickets, where Pakistan played more matches than any other side, Malik said: “If you play in Abu Dhabi, the wickets are similar to the one in Lahore. The wickets here have some extra bounce. So both the teams will have equal chances.”

Malik is also of the view that fielding is one of the areas Pakistan should focus more to improve their winning record in international matches.

“We dropped too many catches in New Zealand and Australia. We are working hard on our fielding and team plans.”