Karachi: Swashbuckling Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi rated the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash higher and tougher than the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

Afridi said that the Big Bash is very tough and also said earlier that Australia’s domestic tournament would help him get ready for the upcoming one-day series and Twenty20 International against Australia in February. “Compared to IPL and all the other Twenty20 tournaments I think this (Big Bash) tournament is very tough,” Afridi told reporters after helping his side South Australia Redbacks defeat Western Australia Warriors by 29 runs at the WACA ground. Chasing a target of 197, Western Australia were bowled out for 167 in the 19th over thanks to a brilliant spell by Afridi, who took 4 for 19.His brilliance with the ball, earned him the man of the Match award.

“(There is) good cricket and good pitches and I think this is a good preparation for me before playing in the one-dayers against Australia. Definitely if I perform well I will go with good morale so it’s very important for me,” The Dawn quoted Afridi, as saying. “I always enjoy cricket, especially in Australia and India, and I think you can learn a lot of things here when you play with good cricketers on a good track,” he added.

He is likely to feature in Pakistan’s upcoming one-day series against Australia and said the tournament would help him prepare for the forthcoming one-day series against the Aussies and the Twenty20 showdown between the two countries in Melbourne in February.

He termed the omission of Pakistani players from the Indian Premier League III as the loss for IPL but said it would be a blessing in disguise as his side can now fully focus on preparations for 2010 Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. “I think the absence of our cricketers will not be good for cricket or the IPL,” said Afridi, who had played for Deccan Chargers in the inaugural IPL in 2008.

“I think Pakistan have always been supportive of Indian cricket in the past which is why I was expecting them to be more positive towards us. But it seems that’s not the case as I personally believe that sports promote harmony and it would have been good for both Pakistan and India if our players would have been allowed to play in IPL,” Afridi said.

“It would have been good to make our IPL comeback next year but it is now clear that we won’t be able to do that. Now that it has been decided we are not playing (in IPL), we will have a perfect window to hold a proper camp and get ready for the Twenty20 World Cup,” Afridi, Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, was quoted as saying by The News.

[Source:Cricketnext,Espnstar]