Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar believes his team can give India a run for its money in the three-Test series starting in Delhi on Thursday.
JAIPUR: Despite the 2-3 reversal in the one-day series, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar believes his team can give India a run for its money in the three-Test series starting in Delhi on Thursday.
The flamboyant paceman said the hosts were the better outfit in the ODI rubber, but Pakistan would make every effort to tame the home team in the longer form of the game.
"Our bowlers and batsmen did not click as much as the Indians. India played better cricket than us," the 'Rawalpindi Express' said in an exclusive interview.
Akhtar said Younus Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq would be the cornerstones of Pakistan batting in the upcoming series.
"Even our captain (Shoaib Malik) got his form back in the final ODI," he said.
The bowling also has a strong look to it, Akhtar felt.
"The return of pacer Mohammad Sami and spinner Danish Kaneria is definitely going to strengthen our bowling attack in the Test matches, not to forget myself," he stated.
The Indian team included some of the best players in the world, but Akhtar believed it could be beaten.
"We will leave no stones unturned to win the Test series and despite the fact that they (India) have the world class trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid and a bowler like Anil Kumble, we will play to our potential."
However, Akhtar said he did not consider any specific batsman as his target in the coming series.
"For me, every Indian batsman is a target. I can't say that I would be looking for wickets of Sachin and Sourav and would spare others."
Akhtar has often been in the news for the wrong reasons, the latest being his scuffle with fellow paceman Mohammad Asif in South Africa. The star pacer, however, blamed the media for blowing things out of proportion.
"I am a person who is very good at heart and I trust everyone. Sometimes I become a soft target for mediapersons," he said.
Indian speedster S Sreesanth's aggressive on-field demeanour has been the topic of much discussion, but Akhtar said such antics helped a paceman get wickets.
"I think, especially for a fast bowler, it is very necessary to put psychological pressure on the batsmen. Some batsmen get carried away with such things while some play their natural game.
"But I think aggression is a must for a bowler and a bit of such antics as well as line and length definitely helps him," he said.
Contrary to some perceptions, the media commitments of Pakistan players were not coming in the way of their on-field performances, Akhtar maintained.
"What is wrong in writing your views on matches in the era when there is media everywhere. I don't think writing columns affects your on-field performance. At the ground, you have to play up to your strength."
Akhtar also denied that he had expressed a desire to meet popular Indian filmstar Sanjay Dutt in Pune's Yerwada jail.
"I have never said I wanted to meet him. I am surprised with this news from the day we landed in India. I respect him as a filmstar and have watched some of his movies. But I never asked for any meeting. It is an imagination of the media," he said.
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