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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUPFebruary 23, 2015Hamilton MasakadzaCANBERRA, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Q. Hamilton, what are you expecting from the West Indies? We've seen a mixed performance from them so far, obviously losing to Ireland, but obviously beating Pakistan convincingly. HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, like I said, they've had a bit of a mixed tournament so far, so we just come along with our plans, planning for them to be on top of their game and being able to deal with them being on top of their game, yeah. Q. And I guess Chris Gayle, there's been a bit made of him not firing so far this tournament. What are you expecting from him? Are you sort of worried that tomorrow might be the day? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: He's a good player. We all know that. Like I said, he hasn't really got runs so far. But yeah, like I said, we still come out and have our plans against him and have our plans against all the different batters, and hopefully we fire up front and get a few wickets early. Q. You're not sort of worried that he might he scored 140 off about 89 balls here a few years ago. You're not sort of worried he might replicate that? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, like I said, you never really know what to expect on the day. All you can do is plan your things and have your plans against him. If he comes off, like I said, he's a really good player. He can really steal the game away from you. But obviously we know where to attack him, and we're going to come out and try and do that first up. Q. You've had a bit of a look around Manuka. What are your thoughts about the ground? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: It's the biggest ground I've been on so far. I've been in New Zealand the whole time, so yeah, it's a bit of a change for us. But yeah, it looks a lovely ground. The wicket also looks very good. Q. Nice to get over here and I guess out of New Zealand for a bit? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, it's also my first time in Australia, so really looking forward to it. Yeah, the first week in the country has been really good for me. I've really enjoyed it so far. Q. Have people given you much about the Australian conditions and what it's going to be like out there? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Listen, we watch a lot of cricket on TV and we watch a lot about what's happening around the world, and we always get a lot of information. Coach got quite a bit of information yesterday when we got here, so we basically have a really good idea what it's going to be like out there. Q. Obviously Pakistan the other day were just blown away by the West Indies at the start of the innings. How important is it to make sure your team doesn't get off to such a bad start as Pakistan did? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: I think it's going to be really important to start off well, both with our batting and our bowling, because I think their top order is very dangerous, so we mustn't let them get away from us too quickly, and similarly, the batting, Pakistan were four down early, and you can't really recover from a position like that. We just have to make sure that we start early, both with bat and with ball. Q. Hamilton, you had a fantastic test debut against the West Indies team. One of your favourite teams? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, I think I can say that I enjoy playing against them. Even growing up I used to watch a lot of their cricket, and they were pretty much my favourite team growing up. I really do enjoy playing against them. Q. And looking at the current team now, who do you see as some of the danger men going into tomorrow's game? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: That would have to be with the batters, I think, it would have to be Chris Gayle. If he fires, he can really take a game away from you, and with their bowlers, I think Holder has been bowling really well up front, so we just have to make sure we work out against him. Q. And looking at your team, is everyone fit and ready? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: A couple of question marks with the fitness of a couple of guys, but yeah, our guys I think are going to do a fitness test early tomorrow morning, just to make sure they'll pull through, but definitely a couple of question marks. Q. I just want to quickly draw you back on to your comment about Chris Gayle being the danger man. He's had 19 innings since his last century in this format and he's averaging about 14, but you still see him as the key threat on their side? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, I think with his par game, like I said earlier, if he gets going, he's pretty hard to stop. Yeah, he hasn't really played that well, like you said, in the recent past, but that doesn't make him any less of a player. I still think he's a very good player, and I still think he's their biggest threat. Q. Hamilton, sort of maybe a left field question, there's been a bit of controversy in the press in Australia about some pictures of Glenn McGrath hunting in Africa. What are your thoughts on that? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: I have no idea about those pictures. What are they exactly? Q. He went and hunted some, I think, elephant and buffalo and that sort of thing, and I guess there's a bit of an uproar in Australia when the pictures emerged I guess of him posing with a dead elephant and that sort of thing. From an African perspective, what's your thoughts on the big game hunting? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: No, I think that's probably something that's been blown out of proportion because the areas where they keep all this big game and all the wildlife and that, they have to control the numbers, as well, because once it gets too many, like elephants in one place, they end up actually destroying the environment. I think depending from place to place, there are places where poaching and that has been a lot, but there are places also where they've been looked after very well, so just to try and keep the numbers in check, they do get people to hunt legally and that in between, so I don't think that's really a problem. I think it's just something that's been blown way out of proportion. Q. And it also helps out the local villages, as well; is that right? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, I think it does. I think whatever they do in terms of that, it's only going to end up impacting the whole thing in a positive way, so wherever it's all controlled, all the hunting is all controlled, I don't think there's too much of a problem. Q. Solo Mire has a group of friends coming from Hamilton to watch the game. How much does his experience and knowledge of Australian conditions help? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, it's definitely going to help us a lot. He's given us a lot of tips along the way about what to expect on the grounds and on the conditions here, and I'm actually quite surprised he's got people coming from Hamilton. I would have expected him to have a lot more people coming from here in Australia. Q. Looking at Zimbabwe's cricket, you have always reached a certain stage and then for one reason or another, administrator order wise you always come down. Now looking forward you have one of the top rated coaches in Dav Whatmore with you guys. What can you tell us about that new enthusiasm, that new atmosphere in the Zimbabwe team? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: I think the atmosphere on the team has been really good now. Guys are really working hard and guys are very focused, and guys are really looking forward to this World Cup, and I think even beyond this World Cup, we're expecting a lot of good things to happen, because like you said, we've had a few problems in the past with administration and things like that, but I think that's also getting better. Guys are a little bit more focused on the actual cricket and giving sort of the cricket side a little bit more of what they need. I think looking forward and going ahead, I think things are looking up for it. Q. And the input of the coach? HAMILTON MASAKADZA: Yeah, the coach has had a very big impact for us. He's changed a couple of things. He's changed a few things, and he's really got the guys going in a certain direction, and that's been working really well for us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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