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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUPFebruary 7, 2015Mohammad NabiADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Q. Playing in Australia in Perth, I guess it will be tough for batsmen considering they're used to the fast bowling, but do you think it will be very good for your bowlers such as Hamid and Shapoor to play in conditions like that? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, it's totally different condition from Asia, and we already went to Perth, and Australia and New Zealand were there before, the World Cup. It's quite a good experience for the boys, as well. Hopefully we play well in Perth against Australia. We have a good fast ball attack, as well, like Shapoor's, Hamid, and Najibullah Zadran. Maybe it's 140 about. I hope to bowl well against Australia and Perth, yeah. Q. What are your expectations for the tournament? Is it just to be competitive? What are your goals? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, for the World Cup, we've prepared for the last three months. We try to we just have to play in the World Cup, just the World Cup, and we will try to best to perform very well in the World Cup. Hopefully we go to the second round, as well. Maybe if we run our fast game against Bangladesh, maybe hope to go to the second round, as well, yeah. Q. Do you think that is a realistic goal, to get through to the second round? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, this is our main plan, to go to the second round, as well. If you beat Bangladesh in the first match, then we hope again scoring in one more big team can happen to win against them, then goes to the second round, as well. The boys are prepared very well for the last three months. Q. We don't see you guys often in this part of the world. How do you feel your team has developed over the past number of years? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, from the last few months that the team has done very well because we put some youngsters, as well, on the team, taking from under 19. We bring in 20 members to Australia and New Zealand from the last few months, and we looked to the boys, who is the best players to play in the World Cup, and then we selected the 15 members. There's a few senior players dropped from the side, like Shahzad, Karim, and Noori. Noori is injured, but the two or three players are dropped from the side because they're not suited well for that condition, as well. Q. When you look at the tournament, is that game against Bangladesh like a little mini final for your team? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, the main goal is like beat Bangladesh in the first match. I think it's a good start for the tournament if you beat Bangladesh in the first match. Q. How big is this for Afghanistan cricket, considering the fact that it's going to be the first time that you are going to play in an ICC tournament in the World Cup? You've played in T20, before, but how big is this for Afghanistan cricket? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, it's the biggest tournament in the world, as well, and also for Afghanistan, the first time to play the World Cup because it's our dream to play in the World Cup, and also everyone is rooting for the World Cup team back home, as well. Q. One of the things about Afghanistan's performances over the last couple of years seems to be when you come up against stronger opposition or opposition with a greater reputation, you may not always win, but you certainly you don't look like you don't belong in that company. Do you feel that the self belief and the confidence within the players is quite strong? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, from the last few years we play against a few members, some of them, like Australia, India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, as well, and we already beat Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the home series, as well. The boys have confidence in that World Cup, as well, to perform better from the last few World Cups, like T20, we didn't perform very well, but we hope in our World Cup we perform very well. Q. Where do you think that confidence comes from? You mentioned Australia. Even the game that was played against Australia a couple of years ago, I think the Australians were quite surprised by how close that game was, how well you performed. MOHAMMAD NABI: From last we played against Australia in Sharjah. The boys played really well in that match. I think we got down a few wickets only, and after that the boys played very well, to score 200 against the Australian bowlers for the first time. Hopefully we better perform in the Perth game, as well. Q. What does it mean for Afghanistan as a country, and your thoughts on the match against India, and do you fancy your chances given that the Indian team is struggling? MOHAMMAD NABI: No, we play one game against India. Hopefully we try our best to perform well in that game, to better prepare for the first game against Bangladesh, and hopefully we beat India. Because the boys are prepared very well for the last few months, and we play two warm up games, as well, with the western clubs, as well, and we beat them. Quite good preparation. Q. (Inaudible.) MOHAMMAD NABI: The meaning to our country to play in the World Cup is a big opportunity for the cricket, as well, and also for the nation, as well, and to mention Afghanistan advance in the World Cup is a big opportunity. Q. Obviously it's a cricket tournament. Do you think it can change the perceptions of Afghanistan in the bigger picture? MOHAMMAD NABI: Yes, totally, because if you saw the news, everywhere there's fighting in the news. If there's positive news like cricket play Afghanistan in the World Cup, it totally changes the mind back home and also in the world, as well. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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