Missing the third season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is actually a blessing in disguise for Pakistan cricketers since it has allowed players to gel well as a team and prepare better for the World Twenty20 spectacle, skipper Shahid Afridi said.
The flamboyant all-rounder, who was asked to lead the national team in the West Indies, insists that he has no regrets on missing the lucrative IPL.
"No, I don’t have any regrets at all. In a way it’s a blessing in disguise for all our players that we are not playing in the IPL before the World Twenty20,” Afridi said.
“Given the problems that have besieged Pakistan cricket in recent months it is good that we’ve got time to work together as a team in the training camp. It has allowed us to settle down and focus on World Twenty20 assignment,” he added.
Afridi and several other leading Pakistan cricketers were included in the list who were put up for auction in the IPL but none of the franchises bid for any of the 11 players.
However, Afridi said the issue was now behind him and he was focused on the World T20.
“We really are not following the IPL closely. We don’t know who is playing or who is not playing because the purpose of holding this training camp has been to gel players and allow them to prepare as a team for the World Twenty20,” he added.
Afridi feels his side badly needed a break after the disastrous tour to Australia. So, missing the IPL has actually helped the team
Friday, April 9, 2010
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