By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan will be back playing international cricket after three months in the four-nation Twenty20 tournament in Canada and skipper Shoaib Malik was confident his side will turn out a good show.
Canada, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and hosts Canada are the other teams in the tournament.
Pakistan last played one-day series against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh followed by Asia Cup in June and has not played any Test cricket since last November.
The terror-hit country was left cricket starved after Australia pulled out of the home series followed by the postponement of the Champions Trophy because of the security concerns.
“It is going to be a tough event, considering the playing conditions,” said Malik.
Malik said the five-day National Twenty20 Cup has helped his boys to get in the mode of the shortest version of game. “We got some good practice in the National Twenty20 Cup and it is going to help us here in the four-nation event.”
Malik rejected the idea that Pakistan was the favourite for the title in Toronto.
“In Twenty20 cricket, you can’t pinpoint who is going to win. Even weaker teams like Zimbabwe and Canada will have a chance of winning,” he said.
Malik is expecting that comeback fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will inspire his team in gloomy Toronto.
“A fit Shoaib is an asset for the team,” he said.
“He (Shoaib) is very excited about his international return and I’m hoping that he will inspire his team-mates by putting in some match-winning performances.”
Shoaib, 33, will be playing for Pakistan for the first time in almost ten months.