ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

October 28, 2021

Saqlain Mushtaq

Dubai International Stadium

Pakistan

Pre Match Media Conference

SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ: Thank you very much, guys, for inviting me to have a chat with you guys. Obviously cricket is a beautiful game. And it's sort of calm here in UE. All the top teams are here. ICC is doing a brilliant job. So far, as Pakistan cricketing point of view, we had a really good start and we are quite confident.

Imaginations are quite clear. The bunch, they're enjoying each other's company, and they're playing cricket together, which is brilliant.

And moving forward, obviously, as I mentioned before, they're enjoying each other's company and they're quite confident. But obviously that confidence and belief, which we got it from the last two games, followed by the really good commitment and strong attitude and executing to plan with clarity that is very important.

So, yeah, so proud all things are going smoothly. Obviously it's a T20 game and you will have some sort of hiccups and you have to be aware of that. And you shouldn't be going into a surprising sort of mindset.

And it's T20, and we can't take things for granted. We are quite optimistic. Looking forward for upcoming games.

Q. How dangerous is the Afghanistan cricket team, and how dangerous are their three spinners, Rashid, Mujeeb, who got the five wickets against Scotland, and Mohammad Nabi?

SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ: I've been hearing about them, that they are actually a key player for Afghanistan. And they've been doing really well in different leagues. And they are quite confident to do their business on their day.

They are very good. They are very good. But obviously we should play and we should execute our plan with the clarity of the mind. They are very good bowlers.

Q. General opinion about pitches in the T20 World Cup, the pitches are low-scoring pitches. The ball tends to keep low and run scoring is not that easy. What do you expect from tomorrow's pitch in Abu Dhabi?

SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ: Obviously Sharjah pitch, it's slow and low. It's not easy to actually score big runs. But I think it's slightly better. But you need to execute your plan in a different way.

You have to be technically quite strong, and you should know that what is your scoring aerials and how to go about it on the day, how you're feeling it.

And I think the boys, in terms of obviously Pakistan point of view, the boys are quite clear. They know. They've been playing in these conditions for quite some time, like our PSL, our domestic -- our national teams, they've been playing in these conditions for such a long time. So they're quite aware. And we are clear that how to go about it.

We know the conditions, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. We know the conditions of the pitches better than the others.

Q. The batting order of Pakistan, it is surprisingly very better at this moment. And both openers and going down they are doing very well. But Fakhar Zaman is struggling in the last match against the spinner. So Afghanistan team, they are getting three more spinners. So what do you think, is any thought to that you would go change Fakhar Zaman from one down to any lower order?

SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ: No. Never. We are not thinking like that. If you see that just before the World Cup, in first two warm-up games, the way he executed against the pacers and against the spinners, and we are quite clear as a sports staff, especially me, I'm quite clear, and captain and batting consultant, that he had done it brilliantly before the World Cup, the starting of the World Cup. In the last two warm-up games he had done brilliantly against the pacers and spinners.

On the day, unfortunately, he actually started actually fine work. He gave up a big massive 6 unfortunately on the next ball or after two deliveries he got out on LBW, unfortunately. But his body language seems really solid and positive.

When he came back, we had a little bit real, and he seems really confident and obviously you need confidence to execute your plans. And he's quite clear.

So we're not worried about Fakhar, and we're not worried about Fakhar's position to change.

Q. How do you look at Afghanistan cricket at the moment given their relative lack of preparation for this tournament and the issues they're having back home? So how do you look at them?

SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ: Look, as I mentioned before, it's a strong unit. We can't really say that it's very easy and you will roll over them. It's not like that.

They have a wonderful bowling attack, especially the spinners. And when they go for batting, they just play, you know, the way they feel it, what's in their heart, what they think. They just go and execute the plan. They just play sort of a fearless cricket. And I think that kind of team can be dangerous.

But as I said before in my answers, you play for your pride. And you don't think, well, this is a small team and this is a big team. No, not like that. Otherwise your mind will train or start thinking in that way.

So in the World Cup, it's a mega win. You play with all the team with the same intensity, with the same attitude, with the same sort of mindset and you execute your plan the way you execute the plan, with the bigger names team. So Afghanistan is a good team.