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Afridi says Sehwag main threat

Afridi praises Sehwag's class and looks ahead to an exiting series

Waheed Khan
04-Jan-2006


Afridi hopes to contribute more as a bowler © Getty Images
Virender Sehwag has been screened out as the main threat to the Pakistan team in the forthcoming series by Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's indomitable allrounder. "To me Sehwag is a big threat -- both in the Tests and the one-day internationals who can be so dangerous in such a short time. He is an excellent striker of the ball and very good at demoralising bowlers," Afridi said.
Afridi, who himself is feared by bowlers around the world and who currently holds the record for the fastest ODI hundred, said Sehwag was someone who had to be dismissed quickly. "Even on his bad days he can be destructive. Such a player has to be sent back quickly otherwise he takes the game away from you."
Afridi, who has played 20 Tests and 216 ODIs and who demolished the Indian bowlers with a breathtaking hundred in the Kanpur ODI last year, said he considered Rahul Dravid as India's second biggest threat to Pakistan, saying, "He is a complete batsman; I've played against him and he is very calm and unruffled. I've learnt from experience that it's useless trying to needle him because his focus on his game is very much complete when he is batting".
Afridi, who is certain to play the first Test against India at Lahore, said he was looking forward to the series, which would be an exciting one. "I think it'll be very well contested because we've played against each other a lot of times in Tests and ODIs since they toured Pakistan in 2003-04. So basically we know each other's game very well, which is why I rate Sehwag as dangerous as he is unpredictable."
When accepting that he was every bit as unpredictable as Sehwag, Afridi was quick to insist he was still not in Sehwag's class, expressing, "The man (Sehwag) has got a triple hundred in Test cricket and I'm nowhere close to doing that".
Afridi, who has also developed into an accomplished leg-spinner, said this was a role he was paying a lot of attention to recently. "I think my bowling is very important to the team and as it's I don't like to remain out of the game for long. Being an allrounder means you are involved all the time. I'm working on my bowling as I want more success with the ball in the coming series."
Afridi, who was banned for one Test and two ODIs for scuffing the pitch during the second Test against England at Faisalabad in November, said he didn't want to recall the episode, as it was all a bad dream. "India is always a special series. Where you normally give 100 percent against other teams against them you try to give 120 percent," he stated.