ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

November 2, 2021

Kyle Coetzer

Dubai International Stadium

Scotland

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. Just give us a summary of the team's preparations ahead of tomorrow's game.

KYLE COETZER: Yeah, we've had a couple of days off to start off with. Obviously two losses, so it was nice to have a couple of days off, actually, because it was pretty full on from leaving Oman to coming straight into some extra competition, and emotions were up and down. So taking a bit of time to just reflect on that and find our feet a little bit.

The last couple of days we've had some practice where the guys have realigned themselves, gotten themselves prepared for what we're going to face over the next couple of days, but obviously New Zealand game starting tomorrow.

Q. It's been around a week since you last played your last game; do you see that more as a help than a hindrance?

KYLE COETZER: I think so. Definitely. Look, the emotions were all very high getting through to the Super 12s. It was something that we set as a target, and we believed that we could do, getting through to Super 12s. When you get through, then there's even more eyes on you and the pressure sort of just -- that bar raises just that little bit further.

Giving our guys a chance to sit back in many ways and just watch and see what's going on and be able to reflect and regroup in many ways, try and take what learnings we can from the group stage and then into the Super 12s. So look, there's some fantastic teams that we've got to play still, and we've played against two obviously very dangerous teams already.

Lots to learn, lots to take on board, and hopefully now we can put this preparation into play.

Q. We saw a glimpse of the great team spirit that you guys have during the first round of matches in Oman; how important is that going to be in reacting to the defeats that you've had in the Super 12s so far and looking to win tomorrow's game?

KYLE COETZER: Yeah, there was obviously a fair amount of disappointment after the two performances that we've put in since making the Super 12s. Putting it into a bigger picture, those performances especially weren't necessarily how we wanted them to go, but cricket has its ways of keeping you very honest and keeping you very level.

I'm a big believer of riding the wave and trying to use some of the emotions when you need to use them, but also you also need to be okay with sitting back and taking a step back and just figuring out where you actually are, reassessing, and then moving forward again.

Look, we've got some great camaraderie amongst our group, and the culture is excellent, and each and every one looks after that culture. We look after each other, as well, and we tried to have a bit of time together, and like I said, regroup.

We got out on the golf course the other day, which was entertaining. Probably far too many shouts of "fore!" on the golf course than there should have been, but the guys needed that, needed to take their mind off the cricket and giving themselves a chance to just clear their mind.

Look, we're back on to it now. The team vibe is very positive: Very, very positive. Look, we're here in the Super 12s in a position that we all wanted to be. Probably going back two years ago we were all stuck in our houses, so we're all very grateful, and not only us but a number of teams are all very grateful to be here right now.

Q. Looking at New Zealand themselves, are there any particular challenges that you're really looking forward to facing in tomorrow's game?

KYLE COETZER: Well, first of all, we know they're a fantastic side. There's been a couple of strong performances by them, guys putting them hands up to win some games. We know that they're going to come and try and push us as hard as they possibly can. Look, they're a brilliant side. Unfortunately just missed out on the 50-over World Cup a year or two ago, and they'll certainly be pushing to try and make the later rounds of this competition.

But pressure does some funny things sometimes, and we'll be looking to assert ourselves on them as much as we possibly can and try and put them under some pressure.

Q. Of course you guys have now been together for a long period of time, obviously since the first round but even before that into the preparation stages. Give us an idea of how you guys, aside from golf, keep entertained as a group.

KYLE COETZER: Well, first of all, I have to say that our time in Oman was brilliant. I thought the Oman Cricket looked after the World Cricket League which we played in there, first of all, fantastically well, and they looked over the group stage. I thought they were brilliant. The accommodation and the resort that we had to spend the time on, it was actually -- it gave us a bit of outside time, if that makes sense. There was space to venture out on the resort, which was really helpful. That was a nice way to break up being in a bubble, to then having that resort in the middle, which gave us a bit of time to -- guys to explore and have a bit more space.

Then obviously coming into this phase, we're a little bit stricter again. It's given us -- I think it gives us a lease of life really after having been at that excellent resort.

Look, it comes with its challenges. I think we've only had a little taste of it compared to a number of teams in this competition already. I know that a number of these teams have been in many bubbles already, and we've only had little snippet of it. There's a whole heap of respect goes out to those teams who have been through that and everyone who is still competing at the highest level trying to put on a show for everyone who wants to watch really. I think a pat on the back really to those people who have gone through that because it can be tough.

Q. First of all, how is the finger?

KYLE COETZER: Yeah, it's okay. I think probably just get a few man-up pills from the physio and I'll be all good to go. Yeah, it was less than ideal, the timing of how things panned out, picking up a little bit of a niggle. But equally I was very confident in the group and our team going into that Namibia game.

Cricket, like I said before, has its weird and wonderful ways of keeping you very honest. Three wickets in the powerplay certainly does that to you. We'll be looking to make amends for that during the next game, but yeah, finger is all good.

Q. Five games into this World Cup, what would you say is kind of the biggest lessons or takeaways that you've had so far?

KYLE COETZER: I think obviously -- well, we had a pretty extended break from any cricket before we came into this extended period of games. Being able to manage and deal with pressure and try and make good decisions under pressure is a real key, real learning for us. We're quite an experienced side now, so I believe that guys have been in that situation a number of times now, and every game that we tend to play, it's always qualifying for a tournament of some shape or form.

Being able to deal with pressure is something that we'll continually have to keep getting better at. I think aside from all of that, the realisation, again, being hit hard by a couple of teams in Super 12s, in the Super 12 phase, has really sort of hit home where the bar is raised to again. Look, it's been a long time since we've faced that, and it's nice to know where it is, and it's nice to get a reality check, as well. But it's also nice not to be afraid of it.

We have to be willing to take that on. Look, in the last six weeks, five weeks, we've beaten three full member sides. We haven't played cricket for two years, so beating three full member sides in that short period of time is a real achievement, I would say.

Q. These kind of games that you've got coming up against New Zealand, India and Pakistan, these are the level of games that you want as an associate nation, isn't it?

KYLE COETZER: Yeah, of course it is. Of course it is. Look, you get to measure yourself against the best. There's some fantastic cricketers there. Obviously one of the things that I mentioned to our group is there's a whole heap of pictures of World Cup winning sides in the lift in the hotel, and trying to -- we obviously back ourselves to perform and play some good cricket, but with those pictures in the lift in the hotel, how many of our guys have actually played against a number of those players individually amongst different teams, whether it be franchise teams or county teams or whatnot, and before some of the guys even realised, the amount of players they've played against that have actually won World Cups is stacking up. So guys have had experience against some of these players, these high-quality players, but we have to go into the game as equals and believe that we are equals, and we have to go in not afraid to perform and believe that we're capable of doing it.

Yeah, some amazing challenges. Look, it's only going to push the bar up in Scotland. It's only going to push the excitement up about the game in Scotland and other associate countries.

Q. Following on from that, how do you as captain get across to the players not to get too overwhelmed by the names and reputations of the teams you've got coming up and kind of focus on your own game? It's obviously tough when it's guys you know very well on the other side of the wicket.

KYLE COETZER: Yeah, I think one of the reasons for mentioning the pictures in the elevator, it might seem quite an irrelevant little comment really, but it was trying to make the guys remember that they have played against or played with some of these people who have actually -- that we're going to play against in the next couple of days. Just remember that we're on the same field as them. We're there for a reason, because we've reached this stage because of our performances.

We have to keep believing that as best we can and go into these games with as much clarity and freedom as we possibly can to try and compete against these teams, and I have no doubt that if we play this game -- most of it is a mental approach, and if you go in there with a really clear mind and a positive approach, you'll be surprised what teams can achieve and individuals can achieve.

Q. This may be the first game you guys have played over here where there isn't an expectation or a kind of feeling that you're kind of favourites to win almost. Does that ease things at all when there isn't that expectation or pressure on you?

KYLE COETZER: I think every game, every team, every player puts some sort of expectation on themselves. We have to be okay with that, as well. Look, we have to -- like I keep using the word "believe," but we have to keep believing that we can play against these teams and we deserve to be here. That's why we are here. There's always going to be pressure, whatever game you play in.

We thought playing the group games in Oman, we thought there was plenty of pressure there, and there certainly was, because what that had on the line was huge for Scottish cricket and huge for associate cricket. Making a scene in many ways and getting through to Super 12s is just what we feel we deserve after a good old stint at performing well over the last sort of five, six years.

But you have to keep earning the right to get to where we are. You can't just turn up. You can't just then go back home and think you just practice again and you come back and it'll happen again. It won't happen again.

Some of these teams, they're going to have to qualify for the next T20 World Cup. I can't even imagine the pressure and the thoughts going through some of these teams when they have to fight for those places.

Look, the expectation is always there, and you have to have some on you, but you have to be willing to embrace it and take that on so that you can actually let your skills out. Yeah.

Q. How has your team been united over the years despite practicing less due to COVID and all? How are you all united, and what is your motivation when your team is performing well?

KYLE COETZER: Yeah, I think being united for any team is really important, but I'll explain how we've stayed together as a group through the whole pandemic. It was certainly a challenge. It was a challenge for anyone on any team, and more than just the cricketing front.

Guys ultimately -- we're all a big group of friends. We're all very close. We keep in contact. I think that was the most important thing that we did throughout the challenges that we all faced was we kept in touch. We kept the camaraderie going as best we could, and sometimes we challenged each other to try and find ways to improve, thinking outside the box, what can you do to be a better player or be in better physical condition to perform when we get back to playing.

The other thing was as a group, we had to keep believing and keep seeing the road to where we were going to, okay, so we needed to know that, right, what is it we were preparing for. Sometimes when you don't know what's further down the line, it's very hard to find the motivation to keep developing your skills and keep improving, so we had to be very clear that look, this World Cup, it's a year down the road now. Obviously it got postponed a year, and that hit home very hard to a number of players because the motivation levels dropped, and then there was other tours that we were meant to have, and guys were preparing for those, and then they got canceled and then prepared for another one and then they got canceled.

You can imagine guys kept getting hit by disappointment because after all, if you're training for six weeks and the tour doesn't come off, it's like, what have we been doing. In the back of our minds we always knew this tournament was here. We always knew it was going to be a big seven weeks of cricket, and fortunately everyone worked very hard to get and kept each other going to make sure we were in the best possible shape to be here.

I imagine every team had those challenges, but that was how we faced ours.

Q. You talked about the team being on a journey at the moment; what's next after this World Cup? What are you looking ahead to for this team long-term?

KYLE COETZER: Yeah, good question. I think in many ways, short-term I think as a group we need to continue to obviously try and perform and try and catch up with the cricket that we've missed. We've got lots of World Cricket League competition to get our teeth stuck into. There's obviously the T20 World Cup that we've qualified since getting through to Super 12s. So there's a number of things there.

But as an organisation I think we need to be bold and we need to be brave, and the group of players, we need to be bold and brave to try and find ways to keep progressing this group.

We have to not be satisfied with just being okay and not be satisfied with just getting through to Super 12s. We have to now start pushing the boundaries just that little bit further, and how that looks, I don't know exactly, but I would encourage everyone back in Scotland to keep supporting this group of players and keep supporting the organisation as best as possible because there will be -- we know that there will be someone out there and someone who wants to come on that journey with us, and it's so important that we group together as a group of players and as an organisation and find that path that's going to take us to that next level, and we're going to have to have some help getting there. We need to have some bold and brave plans and bold and brave people who want to be involved with us to help us get there.