Shahid Afridi sure of fighting South Africa hard despite loss to Zimbabwe

Pakistan cricket team might be facing a lot of criticism for its dismal show against a lowly ranked Zimbabwe recently, but all-rounder Shahid Afridi feels that the players have the ability to put up a good show in the upcoming "home" series against South Africa, starting in Abu Dhabi on October 14.

Insisting that the players only needed to change their mindset, Afridi said, "We have a very good team and we just need to change our mindset, that's all and I am sure we can put up a good fight in the series. (Related: Please select us, Razzaq and Shoaib Malik urge PCB)

"We should enter the field without fear of defeat and just give our best till the final ball is bowled."

Afridi also reiterated that he was ready to lead the national team again if asked to do so by the Pakistan Cricket Board, lending credence to speculations that the Board is contemplating bringing back the allrounder as captain of the ODI squad while retaining Misbah-ul-Haq as the Test skipper. (Also read: Misbah not scared of losing captaincy)

"It is always an honour to lead the country and even in the past I accepted the responsibility as a challenge and I can do it again," Afridi told reporters at the national stadium.

Asked who he felt was a better Test captain between Misbah and Younis Khan, Afridi said both had their own styles of leadership.

"I have played under both and the bottom line is they do their best," he said.

Afridi, meanwhile, expressed his anguish and grief over the bomb blast outside a church in Peshawar yesterday that killed around 80 people and injured scores.

"The incident has really shocked and saddened me because in this country we are all Pakistanis.

"Christians or Hindus are all as much part of this country as we are and we need to respect them the same way we do for Muslims," he said.