Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi accused the Indian media on Monday of conducting a negative campaign against his team before Wednesday's eagerly anticipated World Cup semi-final in Mohali. "There is so much negativity in the Indian media. There is nothing positive to watch on the channels and we are just sticking together as a team and it is just the hotel and ground for us," Afridi told the private TV channel.
"The only answer we can give is with our performance. We will try to give 110 percent in this big match. "Everyone knows how big a match this is and the pressures that come with it. But we will just do our best whatever the result. After the match we just want to be content in our hearts we gave our best."
Afridi also said Pakistan were considering playing their controversial fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar. "I also want him to play but we have not taken a final decision as yet. And we have to take into consideration his match fitness and his form which we will see in the nets," Afridi said.
Afridi played down his remarks about not allowing Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar to score runs in the semi-final. "The Indian media has treated this negatively. There is never any doubt about Tendulkar's greatness. But if someone approaches me and asks me about him (Tendulkar) obviously as Pakistan captain I will not say we will allow him to score runs I will say we will ensure he doesn't get his 100th international century," Afridi said.
He also expressed disappointment at remarks from Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik about the government keeping a close watch on the players in the semi-final because of last year's spot-fixing scandal. "I don't think he should have said such a thing at such a time," Afridi said.