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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

June 14, 2019

Gulbadin Naib

Cardiff, Wales, UK

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Gulbadin Naib of Afghanistan. Questions?

Q. Could you just give us an update on Rashid Khan after he was hit and confirm whether or not he'll be playing?
GULBADIN NAIB: He's quite good now. He joined yesterday practise session as well. Now he's feeling much better now.

Q. Did he go through a concussion test? Was he examined for concussions?
GULBADIN NAIB: Pardon?

Q. Did he go through a test for concussions?
GULBADIN NAIB: No, he's feeling well. He's feeling well now, not that much serious. Obviously when you are hit hard on the head you have something like a problem, like the head is sore. But now he's feeling well. He's feeling well now.

Q. You've had a quiet week away from the cricket, but there's been stuff going on off the field with Mohammad Shahzad and the controversy. What's your take on that? How has it affected the team?
GULBADIN NAIB: We looked forward, so we didn't go past. We have one week off. So we got plenty of good things on this last week. So we also had previous practise sessions in the net. So obviously we missed Shahzad. We have a good youngster on the team now on the side, so we're excited for the next game.

Q. Your strength is your spinners and the ground is quite small, straight. Does that change your planning at all for tomorrow's game?
GULBADIN NAIB: Not even the ground is small, but also the wicket is like not supporting the spinners as well. It's all bad we played the last three games it didn't help the spinners. So hopefully, depending on the weather also, so we have a good, like, if we have a good wickets for the spinners, supporting the spinners, so maybe it's like if the boundary is 50 metres or 60 metres, it doesn't matter, so if the ball turns, so if Rashid and Nabi have a lot of potential on it.

So if the boundary long or short, so if the ball spins well it's very difficult for anyone. So yeah, of course, if the boundary is short so it's difficult for the spinners on this kind of surface.

Q. Overall how do you think your pace bowlers have gone in this tournament? How do you feel your fast bowlers have bowled in this tournament?
GULBADIN NAIB: If you look at the last game against New Zealand, especially for the pacers, so Aftab and Hamid bowled really well, so we need them for upcoming match.

So we played against Sri Lanka, so we didn't start well in the fast bowling department. Now I have a confidence with them, so we start well last game so they bowl really well. So now we can take another game.

Q. Have you guys been keeping a close eye on the weather? And do you think that if the game does get shortened that will give your team a better chance of beating South Africa as opposed to --
GULBADIN NAIB: It depends on for the weather tomorrow so we can see what happens tomorrow. So yeah, we have best side, like on the limited hours, so we have a good bowling attack also. And we have good potential in the batting order. So depends on tomorrow how is the weather so I can't say anything.

Q. Your batsmen have shown flashes, you've had the odd partnership here and there. How important is it that one player stands up and makes that big innings that you can build a score around?
GULBADIN NAIB: Obviously in the last three games no one, we have a batsman, like only Hashmat who did last game against New Zealand, so everyone's struggling. So we know our batsmen, how they're playing. So if one of the top batsman just score 80 or 100, so it's really good for the team. And so you can put good total on the board.

We try -- everyone tries, batsmen also trying to build good total and good partnerships, small partnerships. It's important for we can in the top five batsmen. So this should be one or two batsmen scored like 50s on 80s like this or it's very good. And everyone is just hoping that so that we can better and better next game.

Q. You've not been able to win any of your three games so far. You've got six left. What are your -- do you have targets for the rest of the tournament? Are you looking to win a certain number of games? Or have you worked out what you need to do to get into the semifinals? Just on your future in the tournament?
GULBADIN NAIB: Obviously we're here for innings. We're not here for -- yeah, obviously we lost three games. But we have still a chance or, like, if you look for the tournaments of -- everyone have nine games. So it's nobody can -- hopes we go for the top four. So it will be really difficult at the end of the days of tournament. But we are focusing on upcoming games. So I'm saying my interviews, if we need one good post, one good game, so maybe it's really good for our team. So insha'Allah we're hoping for the upcoming game.

Q. South Africa also lost three games. And I'm sure you would have seen how they went against India's spinners. What do you make of them as an opposition and where do you think you can target them?
GULBADIN NAIB: If you look for our last three games how we played, so we didn't click for any department. So if we click for one of them, so maybe it's difficult not even for South Africa -- for everyone it's difficult. So also we're not clicking the bowling attack also spinning attack, and also in the batting order.

So we just need a good start of the match or of the innings. So not even for South Africa, for everyone, yeah, obviously South Africa also lost last three games. So they're also struggling for taking a good note for game for us. So they're also struggling for taking a good start, and we also like that. So it's going to be a good game for cricket tomorrow, I'm hoping. So if we play good cricket, so obviously in the end you will have a good result.

Q. There's obviously been a lot of rain around and you've had a week off. What have you been doing away from cricket for amusement? What have you been doing away from cricket, no training, what have you done to amuse yourselves in the hotels in the last week?
GULBADIN NAIB: Nothing special, just we had the last party with our managers or everyone, teammates just joined them. So quite good. So we didn't have much time here. Also this kind of weather we didn't go anywhere. So we're trying to do some -- also our manager make good stuff, but the weather is this kind so we didn't go outside. And also everyone just trying to get together and we share everything with each one and you lost the matches, so it's a little bit upset everyone. Just trying to forget the matches and focus the other matches in the tournaments.

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