‘We are not happy with New Zealand’ – Shoaib Akhtar says Pakistan itching to play against the Kiwis
After beating India in their opening game, Pakistan set their sight on New Zealand. The two teams are set to cross swords in Sharjah on October 26. Pakistan are seeing this match as an opportunity to seek revenge for the humiliation they were dealt with after New Zealand’s withdrawal from the Pakistan tour. New Zealand were set to play a limited-overs series in Pakistan but pulled out at the last moment citing security issues. Here are the best cricket betting sites to visit.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar revealed that Pakistan are itching to play against New Zealand. “India is always a big game and the win was great but we as a nation are unhappy with New Zealand. It is a big game for us. We are itching to play against them and we have to win the match against them,” Akhtar added.
Talking about Pakistan’s win over India, Akhtar said the win will induce a lot of self-belief in the team, adding that if Pakistan can go on to win the title, they will inspire the generations to come. “We were demoralized. We haven’t played cricket on home soil for 15 years and when New Zealand was finally going to come but their bailing out didn’t help our cause either. So when India against Pakistan came along, this win was important for the country of Pakistan. The win is so important for us because it helps us unite Pakistan cricket. If we win the World Cup, we have a chance of inspiring a generation. We don’t want to rub the loss into India’s face. It is bigger than that for us.” Check our free cricket bet tips and guide here.
Post the win over India, Shoaib Akhtar trolled Harbhajan Singh, who had earlier taken a dig at Akhtar by saying that Pakistan should give India a walkover. However, Akhtar said that he and Harbhajan are good friends thus like to pull each others leg.