Odishatv Bureau
Karachi: Amidst debate that who should lead Pakistan in the upcoming World Cup, flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi showed keenness for the job, saying the team has seen improvement under him.

Afridi while speaking at a reception held in his honour in the city yesterday said he was not giving much attention to the ongoing debate over the captaincy.

"I only know that whenever I have been made captain I have only wanted to see the team do well and deliver results. As captain I have been trying my best to see the team become a consistent winning combination," he said.

Afridi`s captaincy for the World Cup appears to be facing a stiff challenge from Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq who is being tipped as a better choice for the job for the World Cup.

But Afridi said he was satisfied with the performance of the team in recent times.

"There has been definite improvement in the side and that is why I am confident we can do well in the World Cup. It is true we faced a setback in the T20 series in New Zealand and I was also not happy with the body language of the players but overall they have tried their best and supported me all the way," he said.

Afridi said it was a big challenge to rebuild the team with new players and make them comfortable in international cricket.

"Definitely the victory in the first Test would have lifted the morale of the players for the World Cup as well. I am sure we will give a good performance in the World Cup."

Former captain Zaheer Abbas also joined the debate over the captaincy issue, giving his vote to Misbah-ul-Haq.

"To me it is very simple only that player should be captain who is also performing as an individual player. And Misbah has not only performed as a batsman but also led the team well and with maturity. I was impressed with the way he has also spoken in public. To me he is definitely a better candidate to captain the team in such a big event like the World Cup," Abbas said.

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