ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

November 3, 2022

Shadab Khan

Sydney Cricket Ground

Pakistan

Post Match Media Conference

Pakistan 185/9, South Africa 108/9

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us for this post match press conference. We're joined by Shadab Khan of Pakistan.

Q. Shadab, one of your brighter nights out, I guess, with the bat and ball managing to stand up at crucial moments?

SHADAB KHAN: Yeah, definitely. I've done well in PSL with the bat, but international, definitely this is my best inning.

And more important, our team wins. So that's more important to me.

Q. Did you sense with the ball that you were getting a little behind on Duckworth Lewis, and when the rain came, how important wicket taking was going to be in the sense to drag yourself back in front?

SHADAB KHAN: To be honest, I didn't think about that. I just bowled. I have simple plans. I just bowl, and if the ball is gripping, if you straighten it up, doesn't matter. I just bowl. So it's my simple plan. To be honest, I didn't know about the weather.

Q. Haris in his first game of the tournament seemed to set a tone being very positive when he came into bat. You and Iftikhar carried on. Was it a conscious effort to be really positive today? You guys had to win today, and it's still out of your hands whether you go through. Did you just think let's go out and express ourselves?

SHADAB KHAN: Yeah, definitely. It's coming from the team, and our captain says just express yourself. Don't worry about anybody or anything else. Because we can control the controllable things, so we just think about that.

And Haris is brilliant. He didn't perform in internationals yet, but still we carry him from last one here. We know that he has the potential to do these type of things. So I'm happy for him.

And more happy because we won. So that's good.

Q. Well batted. First of all, before the bowling performance, it was a nice moment when you brought up the 50. You got the free hit, big crowd here obviously, a lot of Pakistan support. You were able to kind of soak in that moment. Can you just explain planning into that particular shot to bring up 50 in that moment that came?

SHADAB KHAN: That was great. I tried to hit a 6. Mentally, I was thinking it was going in the crowd. So I raise the bat at least. So when I see the ball is just over the ropes, I was laughing a bit as well.

It's good because, if you score runs and have winning cause, that's more important and right at that situation. Especially I think credit goes to Nawaz and Iftikhar. They played brilliantly, and they put pressure on the bowlers. When I go, it's a little bit easier.

But I think credit goes to Nawaz and Iftikhar. They make it easier for me.

Q. Congratulations. You obviously spent a bit of time here with the Sydney Sixers last year here in the Big Bash. I guess learning what it takes --

SHADAB KHAN: I don't recall. I never --

Q. Learning what it takes to bowl spin in Australia, do you think that experience kind of helped you in this tournament in terms of the different conditions and what these pitches have been like?

SHADAB KHAN: You get experience from that. I tell you before, I didn't hardly play because everywhere I go, I (indiscernible). So I didn't play a game last year.

But I played Big Bash in 2017. Definitely when you bowl in these tournaments, you get more experience. I think after getting injury, I make a simple plan for me. So that's -- I think that's helped me a lot because cricket, if you make it simple, that's more important.

It's very difficult to do these things, but I'm trying that, so it's helped me.