ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

October 25, 2022

Mohammad Nabi

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Afghanistan

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. You have played very well in Asia Cup, and now in T20 World Cup you also are one of the best teams. But your group is very strong. How do you see to compete in the Group A, because the Group B is a little bit easier than Group A?

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, Shakib was really good as a performance. Not that much bad.

But condition is totally changed. Asia is different condition, Australia is totally different condition. Yeah, everyone knows that the group is strong, but it's good that we're playing against big teams and strong teams. We learn from that, as well, and hopefully we give them a tough time in the games, as well.

Q. What is the news about your batsman Gurbaz? He was injured in the warmup match against Pakistan. Is he fit?

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, he's fit. He played last game, as well, and he kept, as well. He's fit and is ready for tomorrow's game, as well.

Q. So tomorrow you are looking for a good fight against New Zealand?

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, New Zealand played against Australia a good game, first good game. It was totally, I think, a different condition in Sydney and Melbourne. Both sides, as well, is different and hopefully we can deliver well in this tournament.

Q. I imagine you have seen the Pakistan and India match; the bowlers were dominating. Both teams' bowlers, they bowled very well in the first 10 overs. Second 10 overs, spell was not so good. You have a good bowling attack, but you have the best spinners in the world. Do you think tomorrow against New Zealand your spinners can survive better than fast bowlers?

MOHAMMAD NABI: I think we're playing a second game. We'll be the second game on that pitch. Used pitch that we will play.

Maybe it's a different condition on that Pakistan-India game. Hopefully we can see the pitch, how the condition of the pitch. We have a good fast bowler, as well; we have Farooqi, Fareed and Naveen, as well, that can swing the ball, and also we have quality spinners in the team.

Q. Nabi, how much of an advantage is it for Afghanistan that you and Rashid, Naveen, they all have played in Australia in the past, and you are aware of the conditions pretty well but some of them haven't also. How much is it an advantage that you want to pass on to your youngsters? It's a big game, a big tournament.

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, in every meeting we are discussing that. We learned from Big Bash how we play as a batting group, as a bowling group, and as a fielding group. We all discuss all these things, how to play as a batsman and how to bowl as a bowler.

We can use as a bowler, use the bigger boundary sizes, how the wicket bowls, and as a batting group also the first few overs will be tough in that condition. After that it will be easy to bat.

But still, you can watch the ball and deliver that.

Q. How much of a challenge will it be that I know you lost the first game, the net run rate comes into play now, and everybody is competing for that slot. Do you talk about it in the dressing room? Have you had a plan?

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, everyone knows that if we scored 150 in that game, it would be a totally different game, as well, and also our team knows that, as well, that if we score that, then we can defend it as a bowling group.

But still, a clear picture for our team what was our plan, how many runs we need and how many runs we defend as a bowling group.

We all are discussing in the meetings.

Q. You've played out here a couple of times for the Renegades against the Stars. I imagine you watched the game the other night. The pitch played a little differently to what it was in January. Can you describe what you've seen so far in these conditions and how different it is from your own personal experience because of the earlier in the season? What are you seeing?

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yes. At that time in Big Bash, it's a bit more drier. The pitch wasn't that swingy. One or two overs, at the earlies, it take swing, but after that it will be a little bit slower, less help for spinner, and the ball wasn't swing that much, but hardly of the season here the pitch is new and also a little bit green, as well, and also the weather is cold.

It takes four or five overs, the ball swinging. After that, wasn't much swing, but as a batting group we can plan for that, how can we play in the powerplay.

We always discuss after the first match, we learned a lot from that game, and hopefully we deliver for tomorrow's game.

Q. Do you need to be more conservative facing Boult, Sodhi, keeping wickets in hand for the second 10?

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, Sodhi and Boult, they are both good bowlers and also bowling-wise they use the condition very well. They bowl swing and also they can bowl slow ones at the same time.

Yeah, we all see that the videos and everything, and also we discuss all these things. Hopefully our batters will perform well.

Q. You mentioned your quicks have been bowling well. Farooqi bowled very well the other night. Your spinners are a big weapon here, but spin was nullified the other night a little bit. Ball skidded on as opposed to gripping and turning. How do you and Rashid and Mujeeb manage using the boundaries here given the wicket is not quite as slow, not quite as dry?

MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, a bit tough to bowl on skiddy pitches, but still, we can believe on the line and length and use the bigger boundaries. This is our -- and also we use the (indiscernible) very well. Hopefully it works tomorrow, as well. Maybe it's a used pitch we play on, on that ground tomorrow. Maybe a little bit turn on that, as well.