Captain Aqib Ilyas on Oman's T20 world cup chances against Australia
04/06/2024
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
04/06/2024
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Yeah, it's a big thing, Alhamdulillah, first of all to be at the main stage and now playing
00:18against the top side such as Australia.
00:20So it is a good experience for the team and hopefully, you know, all the big names, all
00:25the big things, you know, they are outside the field.
00:27Once you step into the field, there is no big name, there is no one bigger than you
00:30at the field.
00:31So, yeah, it's another game for us and we don't think that we are going to play someone,
00:34you know, something extraordinary.
00:35It's a game, we have to take it as a game.
00:38Like we took on Namibia, unfortunately, you know, some narrow escapes and some mishaps
00:42happened and we lost the game.
00:44But yeah, we have to take the positives from the last game and we move on to one of the
00:48positive games now.
00:49And boys are really pumped up because these are the moments when you come up against the
00:53top sides, you know, that is when you get highlighted all over the world.
00:56So as the boys, we have a lot of opportunity and the thing is, we don't have much to lose
01:01because they have a lot of experience, they have played this game over the years and they
01:04might have, you know, chances of failure, there might be any upset in the World Cup.
01:09So you know, every time there is a World Cup and there is an upset in the World Cup, you
01:12come to see and the weather, how it is behaving, you know, anything can happen.
01:17Do you think that today's result will in any way impact and if there is a group game tomorrow
01:26and you get one point, do you still have a chance?
01:29You know, we want to play on the game.
01:31It's not about the rain.
01:32We are not expecting the rain to come in during the game because this is the time to get the
01:35exposure and to play on, to take on the teams, you know.
01:38So if the rain comes on, it's not in our control.
01:40It's far from our control.
01:41And, you know, we were discussing about today that if we would have won the last game, we
01:45could have two points and if the rain might come in, you know, still the table is very
01:50open, you know, for us.
01:51If we win a game and, you know, you never know, the rain washes off other games.
01:55So anything is possible.
01:56And what did you take away from that defeat?
01:57It's an over-defeat.
01:58What did you take away from that going forward?
02:06I think we can work on more of the plans, you know, I think which we couldn't execute
02:11the plan properly and we didn't assess the condition at that moment because the wicket
02:14was slow, I feel.
02:15We could have worked more on our slow bowlers, slow balls or anything.
02:19But the thing is, we went on with one of the plans.
02:21We tried to do one or two plans, but actually they didn't work.
02:24Maybe it was not set according to the situation, how the wicket was working.
02:27We could have taken a lot from the wicket.
02:29But unfortunately, you know, this happens.
02:32Maybe we were not ready for that.
02:33And now when it comes into the next games, we will be ready for all the conditions and
02:37all the situations.
02:38Yeah, we have a lot of chat with each other and we keep it very positive.
02:58You know, I don't have to go and tell them as a captain that you are going to face Stark.
03:02Already it comes to your mind when you're playing some top bowlers or top cricketers,
03:05it comes into your mind.
03:06And when being a captain, I go and tell them you're going to face Stark tomorrow.
03:09Obviously, if I say you have to be very positive, it comes to your mind.
03:12So it's been very positive from the management, also from the coach.
03:15He said we don't even take their names also, you know, it's just a team that has come and
03:20still they are at the same level what we are doing because we have also qualified.
03:22They have also qualified.
03:24One team is going to be the champion, so it doesn't make a much difference, though we
03:27respect them.
03:28They have made in the past they have done really well.
03:30That is why they are named as world champions also.
03:32So for us, it's just a team that we have to play on.
03:35No doubt there are big names, but our boys, you know, what I say is if they take on Stark
03:39tomorrow, imagine someone taking on Stark or any of the top bowlers, how much highlight
03:42he will get.
03:43Stark and all, they are already highlighted in the world.
03:45They already have.
03:46But what they will be going through if the teams like us, they take them on.
03:50So yeah, it's one of the positive things for us.
03:52Yeah, exactly.
03:53You see the last match, how the ball was turning and, you know, the ball was staying low.
04:05So with these teams, you know, they had a few good technique players before in the past
04:10like Smith and Labushin, but I don't think so they have many now.
04:13They look to hit big, you know, everyone tries to go for sixes, but every day it is not the
04:18same day.
04:19And if the wicket, you know, if the same wicket is there, maybe it can be a problem for them.
04:22As you could see, PNG bowling against West Indies, they were difficult to chase 130 runs
04:26even on having one of the biggest hitters in the side.
04:29So you know, on a slower track, on a slow wicket with good quality spinners, only thing
04:33is we have to play with the big heart and we have to put it on the right areas.
04:37It's just about the areas because the ball doesn't know how big the batsman in front
04:40of it.
04:41If it turns a bit, it stays low or anything happens, the batsman is gone.
04:45Yeah, obviously, you know, I watch cricket and, you know, Australia is one of a team
04:57who has won a lot of, they have won the most World Cups, you know, including ODI and T20s.
05:03And what good thing is you learn from is the mindset, I know, I don't take from the techniques
05:08or anything.
05:09Only thing is about the mindset because people, you know, they tell about how strong they
05:12are with their mindset.
05:14So I think this game is mostly about the mindset.
05:15If you have a positive mindset, you can take any of the team on that day.
05:19It's only about being positive.
05:21At the back of your mind, you have to tell yourself that when you have came here, you
05:24have done a lot.
05:25You have came over all the process, you have played a lot of games and then you have at
05:29the top level.
05:30So watching them, I think only the mindset thing is, you know, very good with them.
05:39Oh, exactly, Bilal Khan, you know, I have to cheer him up as a bowler.
05:42You know, he never, no one feels good, you know, when he get hit for, and he's one of
05:45the best associate bowlers.
05:47And even in the World Cup rankings, you see he is the most economic, among the top five
05:51economical bowlers.
05:52But, you know, on a bad day, anything can happen.
05:54Last time when we played in Nepal, he was the one to win us for the Super Bowl when
05:57we qualified for the World Cup.
05:59But this game otherwise happened, you know, it was a bad day for him.
06:02But I went to him, stayed to him and the only positive thing I could do with my team was
06:05I said, we sit together.
06:07And there should be no negative comments on anyone from any of the boys.
06:10Because we win as a team, we lose as a team.
06:13And Bilal is our main striker.
06:14We had no other option than Bilal because we can't put trust in anyone else other than
06:18Bilal.
06:19Because of the past, he has done really well.
06:21And we blindly trust him.
06:23But it's on a bad day, you can't do anything.
06:30Will you take their names after the match?
06:37It depends how it goes after the game, you know.
06:39It might happen they also take our name, you know.
06:41Anything is possible.
06:42This is cricket, you know.
06:43We respect them.
06:44There is no such thing that, you know, we don't respect them.
06:46We respect them a lot as cricketers.
06:48We have to respect everyone, not only Australians, all the other teams that are participating
06:52all over the world.
06:53We respect them.
06:54But before the game, you know, it's a tactical thing.
06:56It comes to your mind, you know.
06:57So we have to be mentally strong after the game, obviously.
07:00They are top players in the side and, you know, there is a lot of things we can learn
07:04from them.
07:05Even they might can learn from us also.
07:06We know that we have some big, talented spinners in our team.
07:07Do you think tomorrow there could be some changes in the team?
07:08Do you think Australia is an alternate?
07:09I think so.
07:10There can be changes, you know.
07:11With the bowling side, I don't think so there will be much changes.
07:23Because, you know, bowling is defending a total of 109 and still you take it to the
07:28last over with opponents having four to five wickets still to bat, you know.
07:31So bowlers did really well.
07:33Only thing is that the batting department, we could have done well.
07:35So there might be changes with the batting order, you know.
07:38With the bowling, I feel we might go with the same team or there might be one or two
07:41changes.
07:42Never know, you know, depending on the situation.