Afridi says Pakistan will play Australia with united force

On the eve of today's Australia-Pakistan Test match at Lord's, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi insisted that his team has solved its disciplinary problems and will go into the match as a "united force, confident of victory".

"The guys are united," Afridi told the media after nets yesterday. "I am trying to keep the guys as close as I can. I take them out for dinner and the communication problem is not there.

"They are feeling good playing with my captaincy," Afridi said. "I am trying to be a good man-manager."

The maverick skipper was obviously referring to recent events that have seen two former captains ufffd Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf ufffd banned indefinitely for alleged infighting as part of widespread punishments dished out to a number of players by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following the 3-0 Test whitewash and 6-0 ODI dubbing in Australia earlier this year.

Shoaib Malik, another former captain, who is married to India's tennis player Sania Mirza, was reprieved by the Pakistan board.

Afridi has not played Test cricket since 2006 and received a two-match ICC ban for biting the ball during the Perth ODI during the last series.

Pakistan have lost 12 consecutive Tests to Australia going back to 1999, but their captain believes there has never been a better time to defeat the Australians.

Part of this confidence stems from his team's 2-0 victory in the two-match Twenty20 series against Ponting's team played at Edgbaston before capacity crowds of ecstatic and partisan Pakistani immigrants, prompting Afridi to say that the experience was like playing at home.

The Pathan Pakistani captain said: "Winning in any form of the game keeps morale high. We are confident."

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