Pakistan cricket superstar Shahid Afridi throws a ball during fielding practice at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday, ahead of the first T20 against Bangladesh here tomorrow. Afridi will be the biggest threat for the Tigers in the shorter formats as he is in red-hot form after his return from conditional retirement. Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq believed that winning is the best way to keep focus for his team amidst all the controversies.
The visitors arrived on Saturday for their first full series in the country after nine years and that too on the back of tremendous recent form. The Pakistan side trounced Sri Lanka in all three formats in the United Arab Emirates and the captain in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s thought that a positive atmosphere does a lot of good to a cricket team which has often been under the wrong sort of limelight due to the spot-fixing tribulations.
"I think victories are always good for the team. Before there were many changes and the guys were new, but now they are more experienced and that's why our team's improving," he said during a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
"I think it's all about teamwork, we are working together just like a family. Everybody knows their responsibilities and everybody's working hard and helping each other. I think this is the way you can improve. You know your roles and perform accordingly. That's the key to our team's success," he added.
It will be on-field performance that will resurrect Pakistan cricket's reputation, suggested the 37-year-old batsman.
"We can't focus on what is happening outside. We need to focus on what happens on the field and perform and try and bring our image back," said Misbah.
On Tuesday, Misbah's men will play the only Twenty20 of the tour, a format in which they have won their last three games including Friday's five-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Bangladesh too pose a threat at home in addition to their impulsive nature, though they have defeated Pakistan only once in 36 international encounters across all formats over the last 25 years.
"Bangladesh are a good side especially on their own wickets. We are here to play good cricket. We know they will put up a good fight. All we need to do is improve in the areas in which we need to improve and play good hard cricket," he said, adding that as far as opponents were concerned, they weren't singling out anyone as a potential threat yet.
Misbah, who took over in all three formats earlier this year, has so far had a dream run as captain, losing only one Test and an ODI during his reign.
"I think it's an honour to be captaining your team, especially a side like this. I'd like to give credit to the management and coaches and the players. I think it's a really wonderfulexperience to have this type of a team. I'm really enjoying this.
"It's a great experience for me. The key is to understand the different formats and understand your players.I'm now the captain in all three formats, before I was captain in only one. You have to concentrate and do the job at hand," he explained.
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