ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

November 1, 2022

Naveed Nawaz

The Gabba

Sri Lanka

Post Match Media Conference

Sri Lanka - 148/4, Afghanistan - 144/8

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Welcome to this post match press conference with Sri Lanka assistant coach Naveed Nawaz.

Q. Naveed, good win today. Where does that get your semifinal hopes?

NAVEED NAWAZ: Thanks. I think there's one more game to go, and I think in our minds we've got to go hard and we've got to win that game and see where the tournament ends up.

I think we'll have to depend on how Australia goes in their next game to see if we have got any outside chance of making it to the semis.

Q. You lost too many wickets in the previous game, four wickets inside four overs. Coming into this game, is it something that you addressed, not losing too many wickets in the power plays?

NAVEED NAWAZ: Yeah, that's always been the case coming into play in this World Cup in these conditions. It's always the case that we've been talking to lose less wickets during the power play as well as the first ten overs, where if you look at the pattern that's building in most teams, the number of runs that you get in the first ten overs has been far less than the subcontinent. And the number of runs you get at the bottom end has been quite a bit.

So that's always been our plan during this World Cup, and whenever we had a good opening stand or someone taking responsibility from the top to move on, we've done well.

Q. What about Dhananjaya de Silva? It's his first half century since January of 2020. Him getting into the runs must be a pretty good feel given the fact that not too many middle order batters have done well in this campaign.

NAVEED NAWAZ: Yes, I think it's a relief that Dhananjaya is coming into runs. He's always shown potential -- 30s, 40s, 20s all the time. But I think it's good to see him finishing a game and coming through that game over 60 not out, which is a good sign for us.

Q. Just on Afghanistan's bowling, obviously they've got a good bowling attack. Any specific plans you had chasing that 144?

NAVEED NAWAZ: We knew that Mujeeb's going to bowl at least two overs in the power play, in the first six overs. So the plan was, even if he get less runs, somewhere around 25 to 30 in the first six overs, not to panic, to keep wickets in hand.

We had a lot of -- once their main bowlers were bowled out, there were many bowlers we were thinking were gettable. So the plan was to lose less wickets in the first ten and to look at opportunities and to have a couple of partnerships going. Then we knew we were chasing 140, which is not a big total, and we could always get there.

Q. Naveed, obviously it was a good comfortable win in the end. Obviously de Silva's innings made it comfortable. Were you hoping potentially to win more convincingly to lift your net run rate in the hope that maybe you could jag a place in the semifinals if results go your way?

NAVEED NAWAZ: Yeah, the net run rate was important. On the other hand, the win was important as well. So we were keeping an eye on the net run rate as well while trying to secure a win. That was the most important thing for us.

At the rate things are going, we were chasing 144, which we needed to get in at least 18-plus overs, which would jack up our net run rate into a decent position.

Q. Potentially you win your next game against England, Australia or New Zealand slip up, then you may make it. Do you go into the next game against England obviously needing the secure win, but you require a big win. So what's your mindset going to be like?

NAVEED NAWAZ: I think we've got to go in with all guns blazing against England. If we had any outside chance for qualifying for the semifinals, we'll need to secure a big win.

I think we'll have to go in a very positive mindset, thinking whatever the chance that we have to get in there, explore it, and whatever this risk that we have to take to get into the semis, we've got to take it.

Q. One last one. Hasaranga's bowling obviously was fantastic today, that last over getting 2 for 3 really puts you in the box seat. Can you just say a few words about him.

NAVEED NAWAZ: He's always been one of our main bowlers and one of the top bowlers in the world. So that's why we back him to bowl in the last over of the game as well, and he handled it brilliantly, bowled really well.

I think that was one of the reasons that we could keep the Afghans below 150.