ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

October 22, 2022

Simi Singh

Bellerive Oval

Ireland

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. Obviously a pretty impressive win last night. There must be a bunch of positivity heading into tomorrow.

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, 100 per cent. That was like one of the best days in Irish cricket, and it was great to be a part of it. Yeah, and everyone was so excited and just still wired after the game. I couldn't sleep myself until 3:00 or 4:00 just thinking about the game, so yeah, it was a great occasion overall.

Q. Being able to defeat a team like the West Indies that have won two World Cups, you must hold no fear going against Sri Lanka tomorrow?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, 100 per cent. You get a lot of confidence from that kind of a win under such a pressure game. Definitely looking forward to the match with Sri Lanka game, the other games, as well, knowing that you're guaranteed five games at least.

Yeah, there is a lot of buzz around the group.

Q. It's been a long time since Ireland have been to the second round. Any additional pressure, or will you stay with the same strategy?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, I think the pressure was before these games, before yesterday's game, so that was the most pressure, especially after losing the first game against Zimbabwe. There was a lot of pressure to come back from that kind of situation, and to get through the round is obviously huge achievement for the team.

Yeah, now it's just the exciting part, looking forward to playing against some of the bigger teams and hopefully cause a few upsets.

Q. Hobart seems to be suiting the spinners. Have you found the conditions very good, very helpful?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, there's actually quite a few stats from the previous game, Big Bash and all. It's actually not a spinner-friendly ground because the boundaries are quite small square and the wicket doesn't turn much, so I think it's a lot of credit to not just our spinners but other teams, as well, the spinners that have bowled well.

I think the addition of Nathan Hauritz, the spin coach, has been great. We've been planning a lot, me, Gaz, Gareth Delany and George, with Nathan, so that's helped us a lot. There's a lot of strategy and planning going in before every game against every batter, so I think that's the big change for us, and that's why I think it's been successful.

Q. You probably deserved more than two overs yesterday, but Gareth bowled so well I suppose that you didn't get a chance to come back?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, look, the way we look at it, it's not about now individuals, it's more about having that plan and just the matchups and stuff. I think later on, there was no left-handers left, and with Gaz bowling so well, that's why I think Bally just went for Gaz.

But could be different tomorrow. Could be two lefties in or maybe one left-hander, so I might bowl more overs. It's just getting the job done, so it doesn't matter if you bowl two overs or one over. We were just happy the way we bowled and contained them for such a normal score to go and chase it out there, so anything under 150 was a big bonus, big win for the bowling team.

Q. You have to make the top four now to qualify automatically for the next World Cup in this next stage. Looks like you've got the harder group, though. Would you have preferred to be in the other group?

SIMI SINGH: To be honest, we're just glad to get through. We're not even thinking about the next World Cup now. It's just about taking each game at a time. With the confidence we have now, it's showing that T20 cricket, in the other group, as well, that any team can beat anyone on the day. Yeah, I think the strategy would be just to go out there, take every game at a time, and then at the end of those five games see where we are at.

It's no point putting extra pressure on us, so we just want to go out there and enjoy ourselves.

Q. We were told that the reason why you got the nod over Brian was you offered something a little bit more attacking wickets-wise. You've obviously got a handful in the limited overs you've had so far. Do you feel like you've delivered on that so far?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, I think so. Like whenever I came on to bowl, I've at least tried to take wickets. I've taken wickets early, which obviously helps. I'm glad I was able to do that, especially not playing that much in the summer, and to come here in Hobart, especially where the wicket is not assisting spin that much. I was glad in that front.

Yeah, overs-wise, I think it might change as we progress. The wickets might turn a little bit more if we go to maybe MCG or somewhere else, so he might bowl more overs. But the main thing was getting through this round and doing the job.

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the way I've bowled so far.

Q. I know it's been quite a difficult summer for you. You mentioned there, out of the team. Obviously you've had your redemption, so to speak, coming back in. It was very difficult coming in for those two Afghanistan games because they were rain affected and not very suited to spinners. To come in and get your chance in a World Cup, I was wondering if you could expand on that what means to you after the difficult period that you had.

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, it was obviously quite difficult going to the qualifiers, doing well there and then not playing and not getting picked in the squad after that.

It was quite a tough one to take, but then I understood the strategy behind it and all the reasoning and all that.

I just took it on board, and then it actually helped me work more on the variations and stuff because I felt like the that's only chance for me to come back into the team, to show that point of difference, and I have been bowling quite a few carom balls and leg spin, as well, along with the off side, obviously, so I think I do have the skills to back that up, and yeah, it's a good start so far, and hopefully carry that forward.

Q. From the outside looking in, it looked like Hauritz coming in was a good thing for you selection-wise, but we've kind of been told a little bit that Heinrich is also a fan of yours and was throughout the summer even though you weren't necessarily in the side. I was wondering if you could talk about the kind of -- do you feel backed now more than you did?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, definitely like Nate Hauritz has made a huge difference, so even when I met him for some training and he saw me bowl, he kind of got excited with the different stuff I was doing with the ball, and he kind of backed me. We did a lot of sessions, one-on-one sessions at the HPC, as well.

The chat I had with the coaches, they just wanted me to go out there and try and take wickets and not worry about the economy or these kind of things because they feel that the wickets are actually -- that changes the game.

If you go for even 40 or 50 but if you take three wickets you've changed the game. So that kind of mentality is more attacking. Similar kind of thing with the batters, they have that much freedom now to go out there and take it on from ball one basically. That was a change in the mentality there, and as you said, Nathan has got a big role to play with that, and that's the role I want to play, as well.

Yeah, it's worked out well.

Q. What about tomorrow, Sri Lanka? Who are you most looking forward to coming up against? Maybe not necessarily matchup bowling-wise, but someone like Hasaranga?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, he obviously took the game away from us last time with the bat actually. I think it was their second game at the last World Cup. He's a dangerous player.

But I had a chance with him after the game, and he's actually a pretty nice guy, just about spin bowling and different kind of stuff.

Yeah, so he's an interesting -- obviously one of their main players, so we will be preparing, both with bat and ball. Yeah, obviously they've got good players, but the way we played like yesterday, I think we can take any team on. The confidence is definitely there, and we've got the momentum, as well.

Yeah, it should be a good game. Hopefully the weather stays well.

Q. With all the talk about redemption, someone like Gareth in the Namibia game and then doing well yesterday, it'll go under the radar, but the Sri Lanka game is a bit of redemption for you, isn't it. I think kind of bowling in the powerplay last year against them was tricky if I remember correctly, are you personally getting a chance to put something right?

SIMI SINGH: Yeah, look, powerplay normally can go either way. In the last couple of games have gone my way, but there will be a day when you will get hit for two or three boundaries or maybe more. You've just got to accept that, and I think we accept that as a team now, that every game, one of the bowlers will get taken down, and it could be anyone on the day.

Yeah, once you put that to one side and then just try and execute your skill, then as long as you're backing your plans and doing things that you planned on, that's good. But the thing you don't want to do is go through the motions and give those freebies away.

Yeah, I remember that game, and I'll obviously try and do better this time and hopefully come out on top.