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Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi gestures during the Cricket World Cup match against New Zealand in Pallekele. (AP Photo)
COLOMBO: Rubbishing media reports that Pakistan do not want to play their knockout stage games in India, national team captain Shahid Afridi on Wednesday insisted that his side has no fears playing in India.
"I have never said anything along the lines that we don't want to go to India. I never said that," said Afridi,
"We are here to play the World Cup, so wherever we have to play we will go and we have no fears over going to India. I think a cricket match has always brought the people of both countries together and has the capacity to improve the relations between the two," he added.
There is a possibility of a quarterfinal clash between the two South Asian rivals at Ahmedabad.
The relationship between the two nations has soured since the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008, which was blamed on extremists based in Pakistan.
The incident also prompted India not to have any bi-lateral cricket series with Pakistan, although both countries played against each other in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in 2009.
Afridi, however, said that he has always enjoyed playing in India.
"I have always enjoyed cricket in India, never enjoyed anywhere more than in India, I get maximum enjoyment there," said Afridi.
Afridi, whose first Test century came at Chennai in 1999, and also scored fourth fastest hundred in the ODIs off just 45 balls against India at Kanpur in 2005, said whenever the two nations meet there is always pressure.
"For both teams, the pressure is always there and whoever handles the pressure wins the match. But before that we have an important match against Australia and I think we have the capacity to beat them," said Afridi.
Pakistan have gained eight points from their five matches and could top Group A if they beat defending champions Australia in their last league match on Saturday.
Stating that Pakistan do not fear any opposition, Afridi said, "The kind of cricket we are playing we fear no venue and no opposition, so India in India, and Australia in the last group match are no problems."
Afridi, meanwhile, played down threats from extremists groups in India.
"What ever is the response, we will get to know it when we go there because we will be going there after a long time."
Recollecting Pakistan's tour of India in 1999 where a political party dug up the pitch in New Delhi, Afridi said, "We have played in India in worse situations."
"I have never said anything along the lines that we don't want to go to India. I never said that," said Afridi,
"We are here to play the World Cup, so wherever we have to play we will go and we have no fears over going to India. I think a cricket match has always brought the people of both countries together and has the capacity to improve the relations between the two," he added.
There is a possibility of a quarterfinal clash between the two South Asian rivals at Ahmedabad.
The relationship between the two nations has soured since the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008, which was blamed on extremists based in Pakistan.
The incident also prompted India not to have any bi-lateral cricket series with Pakistan, although both countries played against each other in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in 2009.
Afridi, however, said that he has always enjoyed playing in India.
"I have always enjoyed cricket in India, never enjoyed anywhere more than in India, I get maximum enjoyment there," said Afridi.
Afridi, whose first Test century came at Chennai in 1999, and also scored fourth fastest hundred in the ODIs off just 45 balls against India at Kanpur in 2005, said whenever the two nations meet there is always pressure.
"For both teams, the pressure is always there and whoever handles the pressure wins the match. But before that we have an important match against Australia and I think we have the capacity to beat them," said Afridi.
Pakistan have gained eight points from their five matches and could top Group A if they beat defending champions Australia in their last league match on Saturday.
Stating that Pakistan do not fear any opposition, Afridi said, "The kind of cricket we are playing we fear no venue and no opposition, so India in India, and Australia in the last group match are no problems."
Afridi, meanwhile, played down threats from extremists groups in India.
"What ever is the response, we will get to know it when we go there because we will be going there after a long time."
Recollecting Pakistan's tour of India in 1999 where a political party dug up the pitch in New Delhi, Afridi said, "We have played in India in worse situations."
