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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUPMarch 7, 2015Andy MolesAfsar ZazaiNAPIER, NEW ZEALAND Q. Andy, your boys have clocked up some air miles in recent days. How has the squad pulled up after Perth and back? ANDY MOLES: Yeah, it's true to say that we're a bit weary. We're trying to put a positive spin on it. The guys are seeing a part of the world that they've not seen before, so for their development as human beings it's been a good thing. But we've got a very light session today, had a day off yesterday obviously when we arrived. We're all good. I think every side is starting to feel a little bit weary, but obviously we've had a bit of a jaunt across the Tasman, but we're all ready for tomorrow. Q. Obviously organizing a tournament like that, teams are going to have to travel vast distances. Do you think it's been slightly harsh on you to have to do basically the width of the continent twice? ANDY MOLES: It's not ideal. If we were in Dunedin it would have been perhaps much easier for us, and we would have liked to have perhaps come straight up here from Dunedin and then gone across to Perth, but from Dunedin there and come back for this fixture, but I'm sure there's elements we're not aware of that they have to squeeze all the fixtures in. As I said, we're going to put positives. We manage to get to the front of the airplane, which is nice so we could get some rest, but it's not ideal, but we're not going to use it in any way as excuses from here on in. Q. What were the biggest learning experiences out of that game in Perth? Obviously you came up against David Warner and Glenn Maxwell in full flow. Can your guys take something from that experience? ANDY MOLES: We have to learn that what we came across, the biggest thing is it becomes a common theme here from all the associates, when you come across these type of players once every four years, it's difficult for the boys. The guys have got to also go out and face 150 plus on probably the quickest bouncers' wicket in the world. It's totally alien to them, but they have to do it, and it was an experience that was a bit brutal, but it's one that they can call back on as they move forward in their cricketing careers. Hopefully we get the chance to play against the quicker bowlers on wickets perhaps that won't be as suitable to them, and it's part of their growing curve. Q. Do you think your team has a final push in them to compete in their final two games against strong opposition or are you slightly concerned they might be past their peak because of all the travel and intense cricket that's been played? ANDY MOLES: If it wasn't this group, I'd say that would be a fair question. But one thing about these Afghans, they're very passionate and proud people and they're fighters. Their history back at home shows that they're full of fight. One thing about these guys, they'll be wanting to show everybody we call it we're in the shop window. Every game we play we're publicizing Afghan cricket. They've come a long way in a very short time, and they want to make sure in every fixture we play, we want to compete. It didn't happen in Australia. We know we're in for a very tough examination again tomorrow, but as a group of both coaching staff and individuals, we're looking forward to best foot forward and showing what qualities we do have in the team. Q. Andy, long term what's a win for Afghanistan cricket out of this tournament for you guys? ANDY MOLES: Obviously to come here and have a win in our first tournament is a huge positive. We went very, very close against Sri Lanka, against Bangladesh we just didn't get out of the blocks with the bat, and we were well beaten against a very, very strong Australian side. Tomorrow we've got Australia, New Zealand, England, three powerhouses, although England are not at their best at the moment, but three powerhouses in a row which was always going to be a very, very stiff examination for the players. They are learning every opportunity they get, playing in different conditions, and we've got a lot of positives. Hamid Hassan has bowled well, Sami has shown true grit batting at No. 4, and our fielding, I think, has been very, very good, as well. As all the associates, the big thing is that we're inconsistent, and we need to work on that highlight when we get back, our consistency levels are too fluctuating, and that's an area we need to get better by playing more cricket in the future. Q. What was your experience like in Perth? What did you personally take from that encounter kind of watching it first hand, players like Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith? AFSAR ZAZAI: Yeah, that was a good experience for us to play against the big side in the world, Australia, in their own condition, so that was a big learning experience for us. We was enjoying the match, but we had a bad day, unfortunately, but inshallah, I can say that when our team had a bad day, in next game we come back strongly, so we have the ability, and inshallah, we will try our best to come back strongly in the next game against New Zealand. Q. Can you tell me what has been the big learning that the players have taken out of the tournament so far, the most important thing you have learnt out of the matches so far? AFSAR ZAZAI: I think as our coach says, that we didn't face a 150 plus bowler before, and we face like Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, so we learn a lot from this tournament, and inshallah when we go back to home, we will work hard on our game to get used to it with the pace and hope we get some more chances with these kind of big teams like Australia and New Zealand and England to get used to playing with fastbowling. Q. Andy, have you made any contact with any of the test nations to say how about giving us a game, or is the future tours program just so locked up you can't even get there? ANDY MOLES: Well, the nice thing is that since about a month ago now, ourselves and Ireland were given the opportunity to join that future tours program, so now we can before we weren't allowed to approach. Now the ICC and the full member nations have given us permission for us to approach them directly. We're looking to hopefully we're realistic and we're very rarely going to get standalone tours and things like that, but it would be nice if we could add on to a series somewhere and make it a Tri Series to where we can pick up opportunities to compete against some of the better sides, and we are currently talking to four or five countries who have shown interest, but obviously talking about it and actually getting it done is the hard yard. Yes, we are talking to four or five countries at the moment that have shown an interest and a desire to help us improve, which is very encouraging. Q. Would you actually be in the same position as Pakistan possibly and have to play those sort of games away from home? ANDY MOLES: All our games already we play in Sharjah, our home ground of Sharjah. So people going to play Pakistan in the UAE, we're trying to say, well, use us as your warm up games, so it gives us an opportunity to play against the best players, and it gives them we have to be realistic. It gives the full member nations an opportunity to get used to the conditions while they play against us, and then they can take that as a practice ahead of the Pakistan series. When we packet it up in that way, I think it becomes more attractive than think, right, we're just going to go and play Afghanistan. If we can give ourselves, present ourselves as good preparation ahead of the Test series or ahead of an ODI series by coming and playing us in some cricket, then excellent for us, and I think it would be a huge benefit to any of the sides heading into the UAE. Q. You talked about playing against Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, those sorts of players, for the first time. Have you been able to talk to these players after the game? Have they been quite approachable? Have you actually spoken to them in the dressing room after the game about playing at the top level? AFSAR ZAZAI: Actually we were enjoying to playing Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, best bowlers in the world, so we were just enjoying, and we just say that we will try our best to play well with them. ANDY MOLES: I think I can say that as the teams around, they rush off afterwards, but Mitchell Starc did talk to two or three of our seam bowlers at the end of the game, and one of the big things they talked about was their boots. We've got a problem with Hassan particularly has gone through five pairs of boots on this tour already, the soles keep breaking off, and Mitchell Starc brought his boots out and they discussed how he gets them made, where he sends them, and they did talk about some bowling. With the schedule, players rush off, but it was nice to see Mitch Starc come and talk to Shapoor and also to Dawlat, so there was some communication there, which was excellent. Q. Andy, talking about the fasties, Mike Hesson the other day was very high in his praise of particularly the three quick boys. You've seen a lot of them, a lot of fast mediums if you like around the game in your time. How do you assess them in terms of their performance now and what potentially they could produce in a couple of years' time and with more experience against really good teams? ANDY MOLES: Yeah. The three remember, we're missing Mirwais, who's our fourth seamer, who's our huge cog in our wheel. He bats No. 8 and scores runs, and he comes in first, second, changes when things get a bit tough. The ball goes to him and he bowls consistently, line, length, changes pace. He's somebody we miss massively also in the balance of our side. But the three main seamers, the biggest thing is to get them to realise they've got if you look the other day we bowled beautifully for seven overs, nipped out Finch, the ball swinging, and they're not the first bowlers to go to Perth and suddenly realise they want to examine the middle of the pitch, and they're going away from the game plan, the keeper they like the keeper taking the ball above head, and it's those sort of things, they've got to realise they've got to hit their areas for longer when they play against the better players. In the associate world they're bullies. They're quick. They're fast and nasty. But when they're full members, they're not bullies. There's plenty of bowlers of 150 around in the full members. They've got to understand the level they're at, and they've got high skill, but they need to apply themselves and their skill that they've got for longer than thinking they're going to come and blast people out. But they are very exciting, the three of them. We've got Dawlat, swings the ball around as a right hander, we've got Shapoor as a left arm over, and Hassan who hits the wicket hard and seams it. So three different types of bowlers, and they actually complement each other well, but they need to bowl as a group better for longer. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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