	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

February 18, 2015

Mushfiqur Rahim

NELSON, NEW ZEALAND

Q. The way you ran out the last Afghanistan player and the way you guys took the wicket lap for the fans at the stadium, how big was this win for you?
MUSHFIQUR RAHIM: A lot has been said regarding the condition and also the expectation because as everyone knows that we are coming into the game as being favorites, and all the pressure is on us to deliver the goods, so I think the fans coming from all over Australia and also back home. We needed a really good win, and that has been done. I think it's not an easy win, but it's a comprehensive win, so in that case, I think it's really a great feeling. And also was a fast game, so everyone was a bit nervous. The first couple of overs, I thought maybe after 20, 25 overs, after that, me and Shakib both batted really well and I think everyone calmed down, so I think the bowlers and also the fielders backed up. Overall it's a great win and it's a nice feeling.

Q. Mushfiqur, was the most pleasing aspect of this performance how calm you were throughout both of the bat where after 30 overs you didn't panic, you kicked on, and with the bowlers it was a very clinical, calm performance? Was that the most pleasing thing today?
MUSHFIQUR RAHIM: Yeah, I think, because the guys are learning day by day, and I think in the bigger stage, because when I was going to bat, I know that if one of our guys still was still s40 feet over, I think we could score 50 plus, so that's our plan, and I think the wicket was really good. We just wanted to spend time and look for some boundaries and not wait for all our shots, so I think that's the most important. I think we scored from both ends, like Shakib is hitting bombers and myself, really, really easy, and whenever I got a chance to bat against ‑‑ like with him, so it's a really good feeling. I think in that case, as you said, the bowling was also calm and pleasing, so it was nice to see that.

Q. Mushfiqur, you had a very quick ending towards your innings today, hit out very well, but the start of the innings was quite a bit slow, a very patient knock. Will you have to tailor a change of tactics for Australia because they do have a very high strike rate?
MUSHFIQUR RAHIM: Yeah, obviously. As I said, it's a fast game and some of the guys are a bit nervous, but still, I think credit goes to all the opening batsmen, also, because if we lose a couple of our wickets, maybe that could damage ourselves because we have a couple of good batsmen in the middle order and late middle order and we are playing with eight batsmen, so we know that we can see ourselves advance. So I think it's a good move, but still, I think, as I said, to play against the bigger teams, we can see some of the matches almost scoring 300‑plus rounds in all the matches, so hopefully we will take that out, and the wicket wasn't that easy in the later part because that's coming slower and slower down. When there was the partnership between me and Shakib, we just saw if we can stay as long as we can, I think everything will take care of itself, so we just did that.

Q. There was a lot of talk about this match because of the loss to Afghanistan before, and you were the captain at Fatullah. It must have been very hard that day.
MUSHFIQUR RAHIM: Yeah, obviously. As I said, you can see with that run out, it's a really pleasing thing, and as I said, being the captain, we lost that match against them and it's a big pressure match for us and also the fastness of the World Cup. We needed a win badly because in this tour we haven't won any of our practice matches, so we have a target, so I think it's a great feeling, and hopefully we can continue the momentum in the future games.

Q. The crowd was cheering at your batting. Do you think you can perform the same in Australia and with the Sri Lankan teams?
MUSHFIQUR RAHIM: I think obviously if we can do the right things well, I think we have that potential to go some of the good matches, also, so I think we are looking forward to that challenge against Australia and Sri Lanka and England and also other teams in our group. I think that this confidence will boost us up, and I think there are a lot of areas we need to work on because they will be difficult to be done. But I think the belief is there in the group, so hopefully we just need to click on that day in that department. That's all we need.

Q. Are you confident, Mushy, that you can repeat this performance and get another win over Australia like you did about 10 years ago?
MUSHFIQUR RAHIM: I think everyone talks about that ‑‑ they're probably the No.1 team at the moment, the way they are playing, so it's not going to be easy, but it's not going to be impossible, either. In any game, anyone can win on any day. Ireland against West Indies, it's not an easy chase, but still, they did it with 40 balls remaining. So anyone can win in this game. Obviously going to that match, everyone will think that Australia going to win easily, so hopefully we can prove something, and all the boys are really geared up for that match, and I think we will try our level best to do well.

Q. Afghanistan players said a lot of things before this match, saying that Bangladesh would be under pressure. Some mentioned the match in Fatullah. Do you think those words gave the Bangladesh team an extra motivation to do well?
MUSHFIQUR RAHIM: Probably, but the thing is there will be pressure, and I think there is a couple of senior guys and also a couple of guys who will really talk about this and the pressure. We just need to cope with that and we need to be calm and we need to deliver this, so I think today it was Shakib and my day; hopefully the next day it will be someone else, and if we have the chance, we will repeat the same innings. I think as a group we are going really well, so hopefully that should be our plan to do as a group well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297