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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

June 28, 2019

Gulbadin Naib

Headingley, Leeds, England, UK

Q. Talk about the game against Pakistan.
GULBADIN NAIB: Every game is really exciting, the boys are really excited. Unfortunately, we yet to win a single game. So we go for 100 percent in tomorrow's game. World Cup, every game is important for us. So really excited for tomorrow's game.

Q. I wanted to ask about Mujeeb. Came back into the team. Pleased with the response he's been showing, being dropped out of the game, and tell me how he's done particularly well in this tournament?
GULBADIN NAIB: He has something -- like his bowling the last couple of games was missed. So then in this World Cup, and he's back on his form and back with -- if you look at his last three, four games he bowled really well but lost momentum, especially his bowling grip. Now the last four games he did well for the team. So hopefully for tomorrow he will be giving 100 percent.

Q. What happened to Aftab, a discipline issue?
GULBADIN NAIB: Yes, some discipline issues. We have already given the press release. And also we have a discipline committee. So the issue is in the discipline committee.

Q. Can you elaborate?
GULBADIN NAIB: I don't know anything about it. So we already -- our cricket, we give a press release.

Q. Afghanistan qualified for the World Cup, looked like an exciting team, a lot of expectations from the team. What went wrong with your World Cup campaign? Like, what do you think were the flaws on your side?
GULBADIN NAIB: Yeah, we're really excited to qualify for the World Cup. It's a dream from Afghanistan perspective and the 2019 World Cup. So it's a dream come true, because it's a big event. So every team is like not like a associate country team. We're excited. Hoping a lot for Afghanistan. But to be here, if you start to -- also hope the journey will go well. But like if you start not so well, so a lot of things were going wrong in the campaign or the journey. So we didn't give it as best -- we didn't -- but if you look the last three, four games we played well, but at the start we didn't give it 100 percent, like the first four games. So everything is totally different, like you can see especially the pitch is totally different. So we didn't expect it. So we did something wrong there. But hopefully we have the next two games, we have to finish this campaign on a good note.

Q. What do you think about the reach of the people in Pakistan?
GULBADIN NAIB: If you look for our country for Afghanistan, especially the last 10 years in cricket. So now everybody knows about Afghanistan and the cricket nation.

We're doing really well, not only me, but a lot of players, ex-players, who gave it their best for the country. So everybody is proud of the Afghanistan team recently.

So the nation, people like around everywhere in Afghanistan, they love their team. They love their players. So we also have one, like, cricket is -- I see a lot of times different press releases or cricket is in Afghanistan not just a sport, it's something like -- something, other things that cause people to be really excited.

So cricket is like (indiscernible) -- so it's not only cricket. So you give it to the people to entertain, and Afghanistan, if you look at our country, so there's a lot of issues going on in the last 40, 45 years, we didn't have anything. Now, but still we have a hope, hoping for the country.

So, insha'Allah, the mindset has changed. The people's mindset has changed.

So people are hoping to give 100 percent for Afghanistan, not only in cricket, but every department in Afghanistan. Insha'Allah, the day is not far. So these kind of events will be great for Afghanistan. So I'm hoping we'll give 100 percent for Afghanistan, not only in the cricket field but every department of Afghanistan. Because we love our country more than anything. So, insha'Allah, the day is not far.

Q. When you came in for the World Cup, you came as a dark horse. Afghanistan is a very dangerous team. Pakistan, do you think that you can offer any challenge?
GULBADIN NAIB: It's cricket. Every team is not an easy team. We beat Pakistan in a World Cup warm-up game. If you look at similar conditions, certainly in our favour, it's good for our spinners. Then after we played four games, it's totally different. It's totally different. Like the pitch is totally different. Like we are practicing different wickets and the match is different wickets. We're not expecting it. But Pakistan, I'm not saying -- Pakistan is a good side. They played a really good last three, four games. So they gave it 100 percent. But it's a cricket game. So tomorrow is a day for also Pakistan trying to continue the momentum to really a good campaign. And we are trying to finish our cricket World Cup campaign on a good note. So I'm not saying that we are not going hard, we're going to win the match against Pakistan, but we're giving 100 percent for tomorrow's game and we want to finish this campaign on a good note.

Q. Pakistan batsmen are playing well against the spinners. How do you see for tomorrow's match?
GULBADIN NAIB: Haris Sohail played really well last two games and also Babar Azam. But Rashid is a different spinner, is a different bowler, like other spinners. So it's really difficult to pick him. And in this World Cup I didn't see Rashid at his best -- but he's trying to give it his best in this tournament. But tomorrow I think his day, so it's really difficult for anyone, not just a Pakistan batsmen. Pakistan batsmen doing well last three, four games, but Rashid is trying to give his 100 percent and trying his best for -- this is the World Cup. Everyone just wants to give his best performance. So hoping for this. And so if Rashid, if tomorrow is Rashid -- it's difficult for everyone, not only the Pakistan team.

Q. You have had an interesting relationship with Pakistan. Many of you learned your cricket there. But now there's also political tension between the two countries. Does that mean that the cricket match will be extra tension, is there any extra tension when you're playing each other?
GULBADIN NAIB: Yeah, if you look for our cricket, we learn a lot of cricket, Pakistan, we also played cricket in Pakistan. And we also are hoping cricket, the sport is one thing so you can keep a good relationship for anyone like in any other country. So I'm hoping that not only with Pakistan, like India, Sri Lanka, the other countries, we want good cricket. We want more matches to build our cricket or to build our cricket, and I'm hoping that Pakistan is our neighbour country, so it's really good for us to play a lot of cricket with them. So Insha'Allah -- and also when you play together a lot of cricket it's good for the country relationships. And, Insha'Allah, we're hoping so up coming years we'll play a lot of cricket with them.

Q. How do you rate the Pakistan team now and which batsmen and bowlers will you target in the match?
GULBADIN NAIB: No one especially. But everyone just is giving their 100 percent. Every player, every team just trying to do as best but we are not trying to target anyone. We hope we finish our World Cup campaign on a good note. Pakistan doing really well the last two, three games. We're just trying to finish this campaign on a good note.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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