Shahid Afridi says 'determined' to win semis against West Indies Champions

"All the teams' players are determined to win the semi-final and make it to the final," he says

By
Sports Desk
|
Pakistan Champions all-rounder Shahid Afridi. — Facebook/@PeepsChampAfridi
Pakistan Champions all-rounder Shahid Afridi. — Facebook/@PeepsChampAfridi
  • Afridi looks forward to final against India.
  • Sohail Tanvir fully fit for final.
  • Daren Sammy will lead West Indies.

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan Champions are determined to beat their West Indian counterparts in the semis today (Friday) and move ahead in the World Legends Championship (WCL) 2024, all-rounder Shahid Afridi said.

"All the teams' players are determined to win the semi-final and make it to the final [...] fans will get great entertainment if Pakistan vs India takes place," the all-rounder said.

Pakistan was one of the best teams in the group stage as the Younis Khan-led unit won four out of five matches while recording commendable wins over Australia, India, West Indies, and England before losing to South Africa in their last group match.

Pacer Sohail Tanvir, who rested for two matches, said he was fully fit for the finals.

Pakistani batters also showed great promise in the team as Sharjeel Khan (209 runs) and Shoaib Malik (204 runs) are two of the top-five scorers of the tournament, while Sohaib Maqsood (182 runs) is another Pakistan batter in the list of top-ten run-getters.

On the other hand, West Indies, led by Daren Sammy, won just two out of five group matches but made their way to the semi-final due to a better Net Run Rate (NRR) than South Africa.

West Indies began their campaign with a 55-run loss against Australia before recording back-to-back wins against England and South Africa. However, these were their last victories in the group stage as they tasted defeat in their last two matches against India and Pakistan.

Pakistan will go into the ground as the favourites but with players like Chris Gayle, Sammy, Dwayne Smith, and others, West Indies could cast serious trouble on Pakistani bowlers.

Match time

PST: 4:30pm

Local time: 12:30pm

GMT: 11:30pm

Squads

Pakistan Champions: Younis Khan (c), Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Tanvir Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Aamer Yamin, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Sharjeel Khan, Umar Akmal, Yasir Arafat, Taufeeq Umar

West Indies Champions: Chris Gayle, Daren Sammy, Samuel Badree, Tino Best, Rayad Emrit, Jason Mohammed, Navin Stewart, Ashley Nurse, Dwayne Smith, Sulieman Benn, Chadwick Walton, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Jonathan Carter