Shehzad hails Afridi
Ahmed Shehzad has thanked the Pakistan management team for showing
confidence in him following his World Cup calamity which almost cost him
a trip to the Caribbean.
The 19-year-old opening batsman was speaking after he made 102 - his
second One-day International - to lead Pakistan to a seven-wicket
victory over West Indies on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match
series.
Shehzad failed to score consistently in five matches in the World
Cup, and was dropped, leading to questions about his place in the squad
for the tour of the Caribbean.
But the Pakistan selectors and the team management continued to show
faith in him and Monday's hundred was a down-payment on that investment.
Shehzad has become the latest player to hail the visitors' limited-overs
captain Shahid Afridi for instilling a sense of self-belief and
self-confidence in him.
"I would like to thank my team management for the way they have
supported me," he said.
"Shahid is the man to follow. He is giving confidence to every single
individual - I think it is amazing." Afridi was naturally happy to see
Shehzad find his feet again, and believes he has a bright future.
"I think he is a very, very talented guy," said Afridi. "He really
performed well in New Zealand, but he did not have such a good World
Cup.
"Myself and the team management have confidence in him, and he showed
he is capable of performing."
Pakistan will now focus on winning the third ODI on Thursday at
Kensington Oval here, and take an unbeatable lead in the series.
The Pakistanis have outplayed West Indies in every department, with
their spin bowlers in particular finding the conditions in St. Lucia so
favourable they restricted the home team to modest totals of 221 for six
and 220 all out, and their batting hardly troubled by the hosts' tame
attack of which Devendra Bishoo has taken four of the five wickets that
have fallen.
West Indies, on the other hand, have stunned observers by resisting
the urge to tamper with their squad, and have named an unchanged roster
for the match.
They will continue the struggle without Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard,
and now fast bowler Jerome Taylor - all at the Indian Premier League -
while Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and beanpole left-arm
spinner Sulieman Benn have been overlooked again.
Although Fidel Edwards is fit again and played in the West Indies
first-class championship. AFP |