Dubai: Shahid Afridi may be the somewhat unlikely name perched atop the chart for the ICC World Cup's leading wicket-takers at the moment, but fellow Pakistan bowler Umar Gul has promised to go all out in his attempt to dethrone his captain by the end of the tournament.
"Shahid bhai is bowling with such control and guile at this moment that it is truly frightening for the opposition batsmen," Gul, who has claimed 10 wickets compared to Afridi's 16 after five matches, told XPRESS exclusively. "I'm trying my best in every game and as long as the team wins that is the main focus. But I'll be trying my best to wrestle the crown of the tournament's top bowler from whoever is in contention."
No clear favourite
As the group stages draw to a close, Gul still believes there is no clear favourite for the winning purse of $3 million (Dh11 million).
"I would say there is a group of three to four teams who have been playing within themselves, and this is one of the most open tournaments in years," said the 26-year-old paceman.
Echoing the sentiments of Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, Gul said Pakistan's recent problems have only strengthened the bonding among the players. "As a unit, we have learnt from everything that has gone on and the unity is strong and everyone is focused," he said.
"The beauty of the team at the moment is that there is no one spearhead, so that takes the pressure off any one person."
