SHARJAH: Veteran Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik on Sunday admitted a Twenty20 World Cup semifinal against a formidable Australia will give him “butterflies.”
Pakistan completed the Super 12 stage with five wins in as many games with a clinical 72-run win over qualifiers Scotland in Sharjah.
Shoaib smashed a quickfire 18-ball 54 not out — the fastest half century of the tournament — as Pakistan scored 189-2 in 20 overs before keeping Scotland down to 117-6.
This gave Pakistan a mouth-watering semifinal against Australia in Dubai — a repeat of the 2010 T20 World Cup last-four which the Australians won on the last ball in St. Lucia.
“Of course, we are watching Australia play good cricket and so are we, so it will be a tough match for both teams,” said 39-year-old Shoaib after his man-of-the-match knock which contained six sixes and a four.
“It will be a tough challenge for both teams and will give us butterflies but that is always encouraging.”
Shoaib, who has played in all seven editions of the T20 World Cup, will treat Thursday’s semifinal as “just another game.”
“We will take the semifinal as just another game and I think if we do that then we will be able to plan things in a better way,” he said.
Australia finished runners-up in Group 1, winning four of their five matches, but losing out on top spot to England on net run-rate.
Having not won a Twenty20 World Cup yet, Australia are peaking at the right time with opener David Warner returning to form, scoring 89 not out against the West Indies on Saturday.
“We will have a good rest, we are the form team so we need to plan well for the semifinal and this rest will surely help in doing that,” added Shoaib.
“I am enjoying cricket and keeping fit, always love to come to the ground and do my best for my country and today’s innings was like that, highly enjoyable and it helped the team.”
Shoaib, who was not part of the initial squad and was only included when Sohaib Maqsood was ruled out with a back injury, said the omission had hurt.
“I was playing the Caribbean Premier League when the initial squad was announced and when my name was not there, it hurt but I had a way to get my frustration out as I was playing.
“Then I came back to Pakistan and did well in the National Twenty20 and luckily got selected, so I am happy that I am here and enjoying my time.”
Pakistan star Shoaib says has ‘butterflies’ over facing Australia at semifinal in Dubai
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Pakistan star Shoaib says has ‘butterflies’ over facing Australia at semifinal in Dubai
- Pakistan completed the Super 12 stage with five wins in as many games
- Having not won a Twenty20 World Cup yet, Australia are peaking at the right time
Pakistan says mosque data collection in Indian-administered Kashmir violates religious freedom
- Indian police distributed forms to collect details of mosques, including finances of institutions and personal details of imams
- The exercise has triggered widespread concern in the territory, with a local leader calling it ‘infringement of the religious freedom’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday condemned reported profiling of mosques and their management committees in Indian-administered Kashmir, calling it “blatant intrusion into religious affairs.”
Police distributed forms to local officials to collect details of mosques, seminaries in Indian-administered Kashmir, including finances of the institutions, personal details of imams and members of management committees, Hindustan Times reported this week, citing residents.
The police referred to the busting of a “white collar terror module” last year, which included an imam, as the reason for the exercise that has triggered widespread concern in the territory, with National Conference leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi calling it “infringement of the religious freedom.”
Pakistan’s foreign office said the forcible collection of personal details, photographs and sectarian affiliations of religious functionaries amounts to systematic harassment, aimed at “instilling fear among worshippers and obstructing the free exercise of their faith.”
“This blatant intrusion into religious affairs constitutes a grave violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief, and reflects yet another coercive attempt to intimidate and marginalize the Muslim population of the occupied territory,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
There was no immediate response from New Delhi to the statement.
Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947. Both countries have fought two of their four wars over the disputed region, which is ruled in part but claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan.
The Pakistani foreign office said the people of Indian-administered Kashmir possess an inalienable right to practice their religion “without fear, coercion or discrimination.”
“Pakistan will continue to stand in solidarity with them and will persist in raising its voice against all forms of religious persecution and intolerance targeting Kashmiris,” it added.
