I was only trying to send across a positive message: Shahid Afridi

Afridi said that cricket brings people of India and Pakistan together © Getty

Following the uproar to his pre-tournament comments about getting 'more love in India than in Pakistan', the flamboyant Shahid Afridi clarified his comments, stating that he was representing his country and wanted to send across a positive message. Afridi's comments drew scathing reactions from the Pakistan media and fans, with one even serving a legal notice to the Pakistan captain.

Looking to douse the situation, Afridi stated that his comments ought to have been looked at in a positive light. "I am not just captain of the Pakistan cricket team, but I am representing all the Pakistani people here," said Afridi on Tuesday (March 15). "I think if one looks at my comment in a positive way, then it is obvious that I did not mean to say anybody else would matter more to me than Pakistani fans. My whole identity comes from Pakistan."

"I was asked a question by a journalist and I tried to answer it in a positive way because I know whatever I say would be heard across the world. I was merely trying to give a positive message to the rest of the world that we enjoy a lot when we play in India.

"Whether it is Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis or Inzamam-ul-Haq, they will also say that they get a lot of respect here because cricket is literally worshipped in India. You can even ask Imran bhai, cricket is a religion here," Afridi added.

Afridi clarified that he expressed his opinion in an attempt to build peace and friendship between the two countries. He further added that his intention was to send a message to the rest of the world that cricket unites the people of both nations. "I merely gave a diplomatic statement so that the message that goes to the world is that cricket brings people together and Indo-Pak relations have always got a boost because of cricket," he said.

"I think I made a positive statement on behalf of my country but if somebody looks at it negatively, he would get a negative message. However, my intention was positive," Afridi summed up..

India primed for success in World T20

THE OUTLOOK:

MS Dhoni's Indian team is the team to beat in the ICC World T20, 2016. Everything points towards a successful campaign for the side. Familiarity of home conditions is an added advantage to a side that has been in excellent form in T20Is in the build-up to the premier event. For a team that boasts of the premier T20 league in the world, the side's performances in World T20 hasn't quite mirrored the expectations. They won the inaugural event in 2007 and were the finalists last time around in 2014 but in the three editions in between, they failed to make it to the knockout stages. This time around, the squad looks a settled one with more all-rounders suited to the conditions. With the momentum behind them, they are the firm favorites to make it to the knockout stages at least.

ICYMI: 

India has won 10 out of their last 11 T20Is, which includes three successive series wins. However, they were still beaten by a dynamic South African side in one of the warm-ups of the ICC World T20. What is also masked in that stat is that Australia and Sri Lanka played without some of their key players against India while the latter were playing at full strength.

KEY POINTS: 

SHAMI or NO SHAMI?

Mohammad Shami's fitness has been a huge concern for India. The pacer was one of India's leading bowlers in the limited overs format before a thigh? injury forced him out of action. He's been picked in the World T20 squad and even featured in the warm-up games but will head into the tournament with no other significant match practice. If he is picked in the final eleven, it will still be a matter of concern if he can pull through the entire tournament without breaking down again. 

CAN THE KEY MEN DELIVER AGAIN?

India have largely stuck to the same combination in T20Is. A large part of the credit for their success recently has been because of a potent pace attack. Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah were left-field selections, but have proved to be informed ones. Can the duo manage to replicate its success again, and consistently so? Bumrah's unique action proved difficult to gauge for those who faced him for the first time but by now teams would have studied his strengths and weaknesses thoroughly. The World T20 might be the occasion where his honeymoon period comes to an end and it will be interesting to see if he can step it up. Ashish Nehra has been wrapped in cotton wool right throughout. The pacer goes through his own set of fitness routines separately and has managed to sustain it well so far. Can he push through for another month?

STRENGTHS 

A well-rounded team is the result of a lot of planning. India have match-winners in every batting slot up to No. 7 and a bowling combination that is just the perfect mix needed for the conditions at play. They've also been on a diet of T20Is for two months prior to the World T20 and so there is no problem of getting into groove. That their homework has been exemplary cannot be ignored. The transition between planning and execution has also been largely successful with all the squad members getting enough time on the field to showcase their skills as well as gaining confidence. The meticulous planning indicates that there were firm and clear plans and that bodes well for any team approaching a tournament of such nature.

WEAKNESS 

In a very short span of time, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have become indispensable members of the playing eleven. A lot rides on the back of two rookies for India and if either of them pull up short under pressure, there is no real back-up option available for Dhoni to feel comfortable. Pandya's mix of hard-hitting middle-order batsman and medium-pacer makes him only one of the kind in the team. Similarly, Bumrah's expertise at the death with his yorkers has also increased Dhoni's dependence on him. In a tightly knit attack such as India's, the unravelling could also come about quite quickly.

FORM 

No other team in the tournament boasts of such success in the format in the build-up to the main event. India beat Australia 3-0, then dismantled a second-string Sri Lankan side at home before going on to register five successive wins to clinch the Asia Cup. What this has done is boost the confidence of the team to a level where they believe that 2016 is theirs. 

SPOTLIGHT'S ON:

Rohit Sharma - The opener's tremendous run of form is sometimes overshadowed by the consistency of Virat Kohli. While Kohli has taken his T20 game to another level by playing orthodox shots, on acid, so has Rohit Sharma, who now seems to have mastered the art of pacing an innings in limited-overs games. That he comes in as an opener allows him to control the tempo of the innings as well and Rohit has, time and again, managed to beat tricky conditions to give India an edge. 

GROUP STAGE SCHEDULE: 

Mar 15, Tuesday: vs New Zealand, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

Mar 19, Saturday: vs Pakistan, Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Mar 23, Wednesday: vs Bangladesh, M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Mar 27, Sunday: vs Australia, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

EXPERT OPINION:

India has the toughest group. If Bangladesh qualify, they can also trouble the hosts. I think Australia and New Zealand will be the toughest games. But I will give the Indian side the edge over Australia thanks to their series win recently. The only team I'm concerned about for India is New Zealand. India's record against Pakistan in 100%, so I will not be too concerned about them. The only concern is New Zealand - they are a dangerous side: Virender Sehwag.

BOTTLOMLINE: 

Despite a few minor concerns, India is probably the mightiest force to reckon with in the competition. They are not placed in the easiest of groups as well but given their form, India should be able to make it through to the knockout stages without any hiccups. Anything less than that will be termed as a disappointment considering the expectations that the team has managed to build. 

PREDICTION: Winner

India played fantastic cricket in Australia: Warner

Warner believes India played well in the recently concluded ODI series in Australia despite losing it. © Getty

David Warner, Australia vice-captain, is vary about India's Test captain, Virat Kohli's aggression on the field. The explosive batsman also spoke about Kohli's importance for India in the World T20 and how he is a different player from Sachin Tendulkar.

"Sachin waits to gets his rhythm. He then lunges forward and hits the gap between fielders while Virat likes to go from ball one and start his innings. Virat has this aggression about him," said Warner, speaking to reporters on Monday (March 14).

The Twenty20 International (T20I) series win in Australia earlier this year has given MS Dhoni and his men the confidence needed ahead of a big tournament.

India's batsmen had a good run with the bat Down Under, especially Rohit Sharma and Kohli. The former notched up two big hundreds in the One-Day International (ODI) series, while the latter scored three fifties on the trot in the T20I series whitewash.

"They played fantastic cricket in Australia. Take no credit away from India. They played good cricket during the ODI series as well. Even though we beat them, their batsmen got big runs. Rohit was one of them, he scored two big centuries," Warner said.

The New South Wales batsman also mentioned Australia's inconsistency when it comes to the shortest form of the game, "As a team, there is a bit of pressure on us because we haven't delivered as well as we should have."

However, he also mentioned that the experience of playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) would help them win the elusive World T20.

"Everyone has played in the Indian Premier League. We know the opposition we will come up against. We have to be switched on from ball one, we have to get adapted to these conditions and execute our skills very well."

Warner also considers New Zealand as strong contenders, despite the Black Caps missing charismatic leader Brendon McCullum, who retired recently from international cricket.

"It's a little bit of a gap there, a big gap with the experience, with getting off to a flyer. However, they have got big hitters like Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Corey Anderson and Colin Munro.

"You have to take early wickets against them because those guys can take the game away from you," Warner concluded.

The main tournament kick-starts on Tuesday (March 15) with hosts India taking on New Zealand in Nagpur.

Afghanistan jump into big league

© Getty

Afghanistan's spirited and passionate band of cricketers wrote a new chapter in their struggle to find a place among the world's elite read Super 10 ­ as they raced to an emphatic 59-run victory over a much-established Zimbabwe team and sealed a place in the main draw of the World T20 in Nagpur on Saturday (March 12).

They celebrated with unbridled joy, their faces shining with a sense of achievement and relief. Mohammed Shehzad (40 off 23) and Mohammad Nabi (52 off 32) provided the fireworks with the bat, while leg-spinner Rashid Khan's 3 for 11 killed Zimbabwe's pursuit of a daunting 187-run target. The Indian fans may not yet be familiar with the Afghani heroes but celebrating outside the dugout, after the win, were two well-known former players, once foes on the field but now friends, battling for a common cause ­Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq and India's Manoj Prabhakar.

The two coaches stood there with pride when skipper Asghar Stanikzai picked up Tendai Chatara's wicket to complete a dominating win. "When it comes to sportspersons, political tension between their countries counts for nothing. Both Inzamam and Manoj have sent out a clear message and that is to maintain unity in the team.Their intention is clear and they are on the same page," an elated Afghanistan manager Shir Agha Hamkar told Times of India after the win.

Inzamam and Prabhakar have worked together with this Afghanistan team for six months, in Dubai and Greater Noida (near Delhi). For both these coaches it was a challenge to polish the raw talent of the Afghan players, and to strike a cordial chord between themselves.

"Usee mein toh mazaa hain (The fun is in this). Pakistan played a different brand of cricket from us. Woh joojharoo cricket khelte thhe(They were gutsy and fearless). We were more conventional. To strike a common point and work together has been fun," said Prabhakar.

There was one thing in common though, between Prabhakar and Inzamam which helped them grow in their first international coaching jobs. "Both of us never played T20 cricket," the former Indian allrounder pointed out. "We were dumbstruck and amused by the kind of shots played and deliveries bowled these days. So, our starting point was the same."

This relationship-building exercise happened days ahead of the tournament. "I decided to stay with the team all the time rather than come back home when the team was in Greater Noida. I had to be one of them," Prabhakar added. The common point arrived and both decided to not impose their brand of cricket on the players.

Afghanistan failed to make the grade in 2014 World T20, crashing out in the qualifiers. But they got a boost when they qualified for 2015 World Cup. Saturday's win is a huge step towards becoming a stronger force in the world of cricket.

Shahid Afridi-led Pakistan receive warm welcome in Kolkata

The Pakistan cricket team arrived in Kolkata amid tight security © Getty

International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) officials heaved a collective sigh of relief as the 15-member Pakistan squad, led by Shahid Afridi, arrived in Kolkata on Saturday (March 12) evening to take part in the World T20 championship.

The Pakistan team, which was originally scheduled to land in New Delhi on March 9 and arrive in Kolkata the same evening, took an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi that touched down at the NSC Bose International airport at 7.45 pm on Saturday, ending speculation over their participation in the high-profile WT20 event, the pinnacle of glory in the game's shortest format.

Hundreds of fans, who had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of their heroes from across the western border, chanted 'Boom Boom Afridi' as Pakistan players trooped out of the airport building and got into the team bus. Afridi acknowledged the cheering fans along with Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Irfan, who was easy to spot because of his 7'1" frame. The team bus was escorted to the hotel amid tight security. Afridi will address the media at the team hotel on Sunday (March 13) before hitting the nets at the Eden Gardens.

Pakistan will have to make do with only one warm-up match - against Sri Lanka on Monday at the Eden Gardens - after they failed to arrive in time to take on a Bengal XI in a practice tie scheduled on Saturday.

Pakistan open their WT20 campaign at the Eden Gardens on March 16 against the winner of Sunday's Bangladesh-Oman qualifier. Afridi's brigade will face India next in a high-voltage clash on March 19 after the match was shifted from Dharamshala to Kolkata by the ICC because of security issues. Pakistan will play their last two Super 10 Group I league matches - vs New Zealand (March 21) and vs Australia (March 26) - in Mohali.

Veteran Mohammad Bashir, the self-proclaimed cheerleader of the Pakistan cricket team for over four decades, arrived in the city, via New Delhi, on Saturday afternoon to support his team. Fondly known as 'Chacha', the Pakistani veteran with flowing white beard is sure to be in the stands, waving the Pakistan flag to boost the morale of his team in what should be a cracker of a contest.

Pak eves arrive almost unnoticed

With the entire hype around the arrival of Shahid Afridi & Co. in Kolkata, the Pakistan women's team landed in Chennai on Saturday to take part in the women's World T20, almost unnoticed. A day after the government gave them green light, the Pakistani women flew in to Chennai from Dubai. Led by Sana Mir, it took almost an hour for the 15-member squad to clear immigration before they came out of the airport.

The Pakistan women's team will start their campaign at the Chepauk against West Indies on Wednesday before playing their last match on March 27 at the same venue.

Will never forget what Martin told me, says Guptill

Martin Guptill is one of New Zealand's trump cards in the World T20 2016 © Getty

A couple of years ago, very few would've imagined this low-profile Kiwi to be the batsman to watch out for in the 2016 edition of World T20, but so sensational has Martin Guptill's form been in recent times, that he now can easily be labelled as New Zealand's biggest trump card in this tournament. Guptill spoke to TOI on the sidelines of a business networking reception hosted by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

You've been in phenomenal form. What's the secret?

Whoever I'm batting with, I try to create a good partnership.We're just having fun with each other. It seems to be working. I don't take things too seriously and just enjoy myself.

Did you seek anyone's advice?

I know what you're trying to get out here! Obviously , I've been very close to Martin Crowe for the last couple of years. He's been instrumental in how my game has turned out for the last couple of years. I'm very grateful for the work that we've put together and the time he was able to share with me. I'm never going to forget what he told me.

Brendon McCullum has led the turnaround in NZ's fortunes...

He turned this team around. A few years ago, we weren't getting the results we wanted. What Brendon has done for the team is put it on the right track and created a very good culture within the group, and everyone's striving to be better, bouncing off each other with different ideas, where previously people were a little more insular I guess.

Has Brendon's attacking style rubbed off on you?

I guess it has. You know, the way he plays his cricket is all or nothing. He was very good in the way he played. Being at the other end, I probably had the best seat in the house! I was very fortunate this season to be at the top order and watch him and then when he was injured, I was able to take over.

237 not out against the Windies (in the World Cup quarterfinal).You were on fire that day...

That whole day was a blur. It went so quickly. I can't remember what was going on! It just sort of happened! I just struck each ball as it came down, and that seemed to have worked that day. I'd love to be able to do that again, but you know, those kind of days are few and far between.

You suffered a bad accident in childhood (he lost three toes when his brother accidentally drove a forklift truck over him). How difficult was it to overcome?

It wasn't too difficult. I think I was playing three months after it happened, so I was back pretty quickly. It didn't hold me back.

Who inspired you to get back to the sport you love?

I always just wanted to play cricket, since I was a kid, so it wasn't too hard to get back (to the game). I don't like talking about it too much.People just think it's remarkable, but it isn't really. It's just part of life.

Who was your cricketing hero?

Nathan Astle. He went after the bowling at the top of the innings, and that always appealed to me.

© TNN

Bangla women keen to make an impact in World T20

For Fargana Hoque the decision to pursue cricket changed the scenario at home © Getty

For many players in the Bangladesh women's cricket team, the visit to Bengaluru for the opening phase of their World T20 campaign has been an eye-opener. It is a rare exposure to a big city, where they have arrived with dreams of punching above their weight. The journey to India may have been short but they have taken a road less travelled by womenfolk of their country. Their path is dotted with social pressures and lack of opportunities. But the Jahanara Alam-led side is determined to make a positive impression.

Their first victory came on Saturday when they thumped Ireland by eight wickets in a warm-up game. It was sweet revenge against the Irish who had beaten them in the final of the qualifier for this tournament, in Thailand last year.

With women's sport still at a nascent stage in Bangladesh, each win matters for this team which earned its one-day debut in 2007. The team is a healthy mix of youth and experience. Its biggest strength is that the players back each other on the field and emotionally off it.

For Fargana Hoque or Pinky as she fondly called, the decision to pursue cricket changed the scenario at home. Pinky's father strongly opposed her decision to become a sportsperson but her paternal grandmother came to her rescue. "We are four children and my father is a strict man. He didn't like the idea of me playing sport, particularly cricket which we played with boys. There used to be constant fights at home. But for my grandmother's support I wouldn't be here," said the 21-year-old from Gaibandha district in northern Bangladesh.

The right-hand top-order bat, who has been an integral part of the national side since making her debut in 2011, said: "People added fuel to the fire saying a girl of marriageable age should be reined in. My teammates have been a huge source of comfort for me. Now my father is gradually accepting my choice of sport."

The Bangladesh men's team too has been supportive. "When we meet at practice they discuss cricket with us and tell us how to go about our game," said the AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli fan.

GRANDMA'S SUPPORT

"I love cricket." This came as a selfintroductory line from 18-year-old Nigar Sultana. The wicketkeeper-batter from Dhaka too found a supporter in her grandmother when her father asked her to choose studies over cricket.

"International cricket has changed our lives a lot. When we went to Thailand for the qualifiers, I bought a leather bag for my mother with her name on it. She had tears in her eyes and has since showed it off to all those willing to see it," smiled Sultana.

Players like skipper Jahanara Alam, who hails from an affluent family from Khulna city, 400km away from Dhaka, have been lucky when it comes to family support. "My family supported me but there were people who urged my parents to get me married. But I'm grateful I was allowed to chase my dreams," said the former volleyball and handball player.

A majority of the Bangladesh cricketers enjoy Bollywood movies with Shah Rukh Khan being a favourite. But for now, the song and dance can wait as the girls are gearing up for the opener against India on Tuesday.

© TNN