Pakistan great Mushtaq Mohammad believes controversial all-rounder Shahid Afridi is the right man to "lead from the front" as they prepare to defend their World Twenty20 title. Afridi has long been one of the world's leading one-day players and his aggressive batting and leg-spin bowling were instrumental in Pakistan winning the World Twenty20 in England last year.
"Pakistan are a team in the making at the moment and Shahid Afridi is quite a force in the shorter form of cricket," Mushtaq told reporters at Lord's here on Monday. "He won us the (Twenty20) World Cup here last summer. He is a very positive cricketer and we need somebody to lead Pakistan from the front."
"Pakistan have lost a lot of their key players," Mushtaq, one of Pakistan's greatest batsmen, said. "But I hope they will come round and get the senior players to strengthen the team." Mushtaq, a former Pakistan captain and coach, was at Lord's for the launch of the sponsorship by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the ground's owners, of the Pakistan-Australia Test and Twenty20 series in England in July.