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Shoaib Malik is confident the burden of Pakistan captaincy will not affect his personal performance in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup next month.

The Pakistan skipper told this correspondent before the national team’s departure to Kenya early Thursday morning to play in a four-nation Twenty20 tournament that he is looking forward to playing his role in South Africa both as the team captain as well as one of its senior all-rounders.

“Captaincy hasn’t affected me in any way,” stressed Malik, who took over the reins of the Pakistan team from Inzamam-ul-Haq after a disastrous World Cup campaign in the Caribbean in March. “In fact it has given me a new strength and I’m looking forward to giving my best in the Twenty20 World Cup.”

The captain said that he is in good batting form and is also looking forward to contributing to the team’s cause with his useful spin bowling.

Malik is at the helm of a strong Pakistani squad that has a lethal pace attack that consists of the world’s fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, perhaps the most lethal. He also has the services of the big-hitting Imran Nazir and a number of all-rounders like Shahid Afridi.

Pakistan have been unable to justify their reputation as one of the most talented teams in either Tests or one-dayers in recent times and Malik believes the new twenty20 format may just be the sort of tonic his team needs to bounce back from a series of disappointing results.

“Firstly in twenty20 cricket there are no favourites,” he said. “This means on our day we can beat even the Australians.”

Source:Cricket News

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