ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

October 17, 2021

Khawar Ali

Oman Cricket Academy Ground

Oman

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. How exciting is it to have a World Cup in your backyard? And if you could just tell us a little bit about the atmosphere at the venue last night.

KHAWAR ALI: Yes, of course it's very exciting, and we was very -- we played very well in that game, and the atmosphere was very fantastic. We enjoyed our home condition, so the boys played very well. Hopefully we will continue this performance in next games.

Q. You said you enjoyed the home conditions; do you think it gives you a bigger advantage over every other team playing in the Muscat matches?

KHAWAR ALI: Yes, of course we are playing over to over again here, so we are very used to here, so that's why the boys were very confident in this home condition and we know how to utilise the condition. It's very big benefit for us as a team.

Q. Moving into tomorrow's game, are you going to change your approach, or are you going to keep the plan the same since it worked so well yesterday?

KHAWAR ALI: We were trying to save our basic, we are trying to focus on save basic, and we'll see how the match will going on, so match to match we will approach.

Q. Obviously the atmosphere yesterday in the stadium was incredible; how much energy did you draw from that?

KHAWAR ALI: The energy was outstanding because we have home crowd advantage. They support very well, and the boys was very confident, so that energy was there, and the energy level was high.

Q. If you were to progress in the tournament through to the Super 12s, how important would that be for cricket in Oman and the Omani people?

KHAWAR ALI: Yeah, this is very important for us and very big opportunity, inshallah, if we qualify for the Super 12, so it will be very helpful for Oman cricket, as players, as members, all of us, would be very big. Dream come true like this.

Q. Tomorrow obviously presents a different challenge playing against a full member; what would it mean to you as a representative of associate members to beat a full member tomorrow?

KHAWAR ALI: For us it's another game. We are taking it as another game, because we did well in previous matches, so we are very confident. We know Bangladesh lost yesterday, so they are under pressure. We have to play only good cricket, so that will come positive, inshallah.

Q. I want to ask about what you think Oman's biggest threat is to Bangladesh tomorrow.

KHAWAR ALI: Yeah, actually we have very good allrounder team, so our top order in form, batting in form, bowling in form. So as allrounders, we performed well, so this is our men. And our boys are very used to playing together. After many, many long time we are playing together. So we have very good communication in between the players, so that will really help us in the field.

Q. Yesterday was probably the complete performance from you as a team; who do you think will be the most important individuals within the team tomorrow for the game?

KHAWAR ALI: We have a few players very key. Bilal Khan, fastbowler, and of course Captain Zeeshan Maqsood, and two, three lower order batsmen all didn't bat yesterday, so hopefully they will now bat. Myself also as a legspinner, I'm thinking. So these three, four, five players is very vital to our game.

Q. The spinners and slower bowlers yesterday had a lot of success. Are they going to be equally as important tomorrow?

KHAWAR ALI: Yes, we have very good spin bowling, so hopefully they will perform same way our captain did yesterday, so hopefully we will same performance continue.

Q. Just as a follow-up to that question, tomorrow is a night game for you. Do you think the pitch will play differently as compared to yesterday?

KHAWAR ALI: I think so because the second game is same pitch we will play, so it will behave differently. But we'll see which wicket we are going to play. We have to plan according to that.

Q. Tomorrow's match will be a big match for Bangladesh. Oman has come off the opening win, so what will be the approach, like Oman will continue with the same aggressive approach, or do you have a different game plan?

KHAWAR ALI: Well, as I said, we have same approach or we will continue same this approach, and we know we are successful with this approach, so we don't want to change anything right now.

Q. You are prepared for the Bangladesh coming with full cylinders in attack, so you will be ready for -- do you have a specific plan or some strategy?

KHAWAR ALI: Yes, of course. Every team has a different lineup of players, so every team against we have different planning, so we will show you tomorrow. (Chuckling.)

Q. I would just like to know, the fact that Jatinder is back to form and he played a brilliant innings in the previous game against PNG, how much confidence has that given to the Oman top order going into a big match like the Bangladesh one tomorrow?

KHAWAR ALI: Well, as a top order batsman for any team is very important, especially in T20 cricket because it's a very short format game, so it's very good for us have our top order batsmen in form, and it will help us in the next two games.

Q. Do you think you are extremely favored because Bangladesh lost against Scotland?

KHAWAR ALI: Yeah, we can say they are now in a lot of pressure, but we will focus on our game and our game plan, and hopefully the result will come our side.

Q. What do you think about Bangladesh? Is it your main strain because Bangladesh lost last game?

KHAWAR ALI: Well, it's not strain; it's T20 game. In this format anyone is good. So on the day how teams performing, that's the matter.

Q. Obviously you have seen Bangladesh play the first game. What are the areas you've seen that are weaker points that you can cash in when you play against Bangladesh? You will certainly bank on your own strengths at your own home soil, obviously, but is this extra motivation for you guys to go into the Super 12 stage?

KHAWAR ALI: They look like in week when they are chasing, they look like very under pressure, so we will focus on it, so it's meant they're a lot of good form, the Bangladesh batsmen. Of course we played the last game very well. We won by 10 wickets, so it's of course extra motivation for the whole team.

Q. How confident are you to beat Bangladesh tomorrow? How confident you are?

KHAWAR ALI: As a team we are very confident to beat Bangladesh, but what I said, we have to play very good cricket all three departments, bowling, batting and fielding.

Q. In the last T20 World Cup you played against Bangladesh and Tamim Iqbal scored a hundred against you. In this World Cup he is not with the Bangladesh team. How do you rate this team right now? Like we have lost the last match and Tamim Iqbal is not playing. What will be your strategy against the Bangladesh team? Will you go with more spinners or will you go with more pace bowlers?

KHAWAR ALI: You are right, 2016 Tamim Iqbal scored that time, but it's five years back. That time Oman cricket was different. Now we are approaching different.

And how do approach tomorrow's game, we will see the wickets and the combination, so then we will decide.