ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

October 17, 2021

Zeeshan Maqsoos

Oman Cricket Academy Ground

Oman

Media Conference

Oman - 131/0 (13.4), Papua New Guinea - 129/9 (20)

Q. Did you expect such an easy win? Obviously playing at home has its own advantages, but did you expect such an easy game, and what do you think was the crucial turning point of the game?

ZEESHAN MAQSOOD: Yeah, I didn't expect this kind of easy game because PNG is also a good team, and they also have good players. Like Assad Vala, Charles Amini they are batting so nicely that time.

The turning point is that Nadeem's runout and Kaleemullah's wicket, Assad Vala, he got him. So after that, I think PNG, the batting side, they bounce back and with -- I think then on say one over, three wickets, while I'm bowling, so that is also a turning point.

So I never thought it would be an easy game but the way Atai and Aqib batted, it looks so easy and cake walk.

Q. How do you take the next games? You got a very crucial win, opening win, so next match is a big match. Your batters are not being tested because only openers, they finished it. So bowling and fielding order, just a little bit better, how would you assess for Bangladesh match?

ZEESHAN MAQSOOD: Definitely every game is a tough game and yeah, we won the game, and it doesn't mean we should take rest and feel easy and comfortable. Because next we are playing against Scotland and Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a test side, and they have plenty of good players. They have more experience to play in such a big stage.

And we have to just take this win as a positive note and we have to play every game day-by-day, what is our -- what is in front of us, we cannot say. So are going game by game, so against Bangladesh and Scotland, and what we have done, the mistakes in the fielding, we have to sort it out and we have to work on it and come back strong on that.

Q. I wanted to ask you a little bit about the surface today because it felt like the set batsman had a bigger roll than usual because it was extremely difficult to do anything. We saw the collapse from PNG and the opening batsmen from your side finished the innings completely. Was there something on the surface that presented the new batsmen from coming in and establishing themselves?

ZEESHAN MAQSOOD: Yeah, definitely it's a surface you need some time to work on and settle yourself, and then you can play your shots. You can see that Charles and Assad Vala, they took their time, and after that, they got a few runs, also. Assad scored 50 and a few runs with Charles.

So obviously we know our home condition, so if you back more and you class yourself and work the ball and just take your time, then definitely it will help to get a good score on this track.

Q. Just tell about your own form with the ball because four wickets in first match and captain and pressure, you are like a stalwart crucially, because that reduced the target.

ZEESHAN MAQSOOD: Yeah, because after my first two overs, I gave two boundaries (ph) on the last two balls, so I never thought I would bowl again. But certainly the message from my coach and a few senior players, they insist me to bowl, to change the hand and bowl, and it works, and you can say some good hints and good advices, it helps to win the shorter format. That happened, and I rolled that over and I took three wickets, goes to my side.

Q. How important do you think that opening partnership was between Ilyas and Singh, and how happy are you with that?

ZEESHAN MAQSOOD: Definitely, because past three, four games, technically didn't score, so he is a little bit confused. But we know what he's capable of. Always we back him up and that's why he came back and put the great start with Aqib. So hopefully they will carry on this momentum and this form, what he has got now, so we are looking forward to them getting back to cricket.

Q. How big do you think that win is, especially in terms of keeping the pressure off going into the second and third game?

ZEESHAN MAQSOOD: Yeah, win matters a lot because it motivates you or gives you bolster. This is such a big platform, and your first game, home soil, and you are hosting the World Cup, if you won the first game, it is a big achievement.

But we cannot take it easy the next game, every game. We are playing against Bangladesh and hopefully we will give our best, what we have done, the mistakes we make in today's game. So we should not beat it (ph). That is only the motto.

Q. Could you just talk about from the time you played the last T20 World Cup in India, in the last five years, there has been a lot of improvement among cricket. Playing in the World Cup, what are things that brings with it, and also brought on Jatinder Singh, he has come through the system and he has been playing well. Just a few words on Jatinder, please.

ZEESHAN MAQSOOD: Yeah, definitely, if you said 2016, we win there and we played a game and we beat Ireland in our first game. So from there on, we worked very hard and we got the stadiums, we got the pitches, facilities in those and everything, and the coaches, they are working with us, and we got new faces on the team. Because if you are on side and players are doing well, so obviously the more talent you will get from the country.

So we are looking forward to play better cricket as you mentioned. Jati is a main player for us and you could say a backbone for the team. If he performs, you can say as opener, if somebody is performing well and if they put a good total, like in the start, definitely the whole system automatically go up and motivates us and give us what start we want, and he's that person who can do for us and always he's doing. So we play for him. He should carry on such a form he is now, like now, and we wish him to play better.