'No fear playing in India'
Shahid Hashmi
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi denied on Wednesday that he feared
playing a World Cup quarter-final in India, insisting a potential clash
between the two neighbours can help ease strained relations.
"I have never said anything along the lines that we don't want to go
to India. I never said that," said Afridi, hitting back at media reports
that Pakistan wants to avoid playing their last-eight game in India.
"We are here to play the World Cup, so wherever we have to play we
will go and we have no fears over going to India," said Afridi of the
possibility of a mouth-watering quarter-final against their South Asian
rivals at Ahmedabad.
"I think a cricket match has always brought the people of both
countries together and has the capacity to improve the relations between
the two," said Afridi.
Relationship
The relationship between the nuclear rivals has been at breaking
point since the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008, which New Delhi
blamed on extremists based in Pakistan.
Those attacks also forced India to stall bi-lateral cricket series
with Pakistan, although both countries played against each other in the
Champions Trophy in South Africa in 2009. Afridi said he and his
team-mates have always enjoyed playing cricket in India.
"I have always enjoyed cricket in India, never enjoyed anywhere more
than in India, I get maximum enjoyment there," said Afridi, whose first
Test century came at Chennai in 1999.
Fastest
He also hit one-day cricket's fourth fastest century off just 45
balls, against India at Kanpur in 2005.
Pakistan have eight points from their five matches and could top
Group A if they beat defending champions Australia in their last match
on Saturday.
Afridi says his team fear no opposition.
"The kind of cricket we are playing we fear no venue and no
opposition, so India in India, and Australia in the last group match are
no problems," said Afridi, who played down threats from extremists
groups in India.
"What ever is the response, we will get to know it when we go there
because we will be going there after a long time," said Afridi.
AFP
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