team Afridi will defeat team India: Rashid Latif

MOHALI, India: At a time when most experts are tipping India to win their mouth-watering semifinal against Pakistan here on Wednesday, Rashid Latif has declared that the Greenshirts are the favourites to grab a place in the World Cup final.
“Pakistan will beat India,” predicted the former Pakistan captain. “They have a very good bowling combination that’s much better than India’s attack as Pakistan excel both in pace and spin,” stressed Latif in an interview with ‘The News’.
Latif, who was a member of the Pakistan team that lost to India in the quarterfinal of the 1996 World Cup in Bangalore, said that the fact that Shahid Afridi’s men are performing well as a well-oiled unit boosts their chances of beating India.
“Everybody knows that as far as individual players are concerned India are stronger than Pakistan,” he said. “But Pakistan, because they are so united and so motivated, are playing better as a unit and that their biggest strength.”
Latif believes that Afridi, the Pakistan captain, will be the key player for Pakistan.
“Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Younis Khan will be key players for Pakistan,” he said. “Also the Akmal brothers (Kamran and Umar) should play important roles for the team in the semifinal.”
Latif urged Pakistan to recall retiring pacer Shoaib Akhtar in their playing eleven for the March 30 semifinal in Mohali.
The former Test wicketkeeper said that Pakistan have a good chance to avenge their 1996 quarterfinal defeat, adding that Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach who was a member of the losing team, in Bangalore, has an excellent opportunity to wipe off the bitter memories of the past.
“Pakistan have the strength to beat India and avenge their Bangalore defeat. No one can understand the agony better than Waqar, and he is lucky to have another chance to wipe off the bitter memories of that defeat.”