CARDIFF: Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi admitted he had a job on his hands to raise the morale of his scandal-hit side after they were bowled out for just 89 by England in a thumping Twenty20 loss.
Pakistan were dismissed for their lowest Twenty20 score in 40 matches at this level at Sophia Gardens here on Tuesday as England won by six wickets to wrap up a 2-0 series win with a mammoth 36 balls to spare.
World Twenty20 champions England, who completed a 3-1 Test series win over Pakistan last month, will now look for fresh success when the teams meet in the first of five one-day internationals at Chester-le-Street, northeast England, on Friday.
“We were very bad, inexperienced and immature from my side and from all the batsmen,” Afridi told reporters. “I think we played very bad cricket.
“It will be a big challenge to compete in the one-dayers, but we have some time,” he added.
“Me, my coach (Waqar Younis) and the team, we will sit together and talk.”
Pakistan's tour has been overshadowed by a ‘spot-fixing' scandal that has seen Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif all suspended by the International Cricket Council after allegedly conspiring to deliberately bowl no-balls during last month's fourth Test at Lord's.
But Afridi said off-field problems could not account for Pakistan's form.
“We are coming through a bad situation, but as professionals we should take that from our mind and focus on our cricket.
“At this stage I know our morale is very down. It is down day by day, and game by game. But one victory and it will be very high.
“I just want one victory. I'm not letting my team down like this, not in the one-dayers,” Afridi added.
But he conceded the loss of the suspended trio had hit Pakistan hard.
“I made some plans as a captain, I knew Salman Butt was my opener and key player, and Asif and Amir.
“Everything has changed as a captain for me, but inshallah (God willing) I will bring my team up.
