ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

November 5, 2022

Adil Rashid

Sydney Cricket Ground

England

Post Match Media Conference

England 144/6, Sri Lanka 141/8

Q. How nervous the dressing room must have been knowing you had someone like Ben Stokes out there?

ADIL RASHID: Definitely obviously nervous. We would like to win a lot easier than that. But that's T20 cricket. We kept our composure at the end. Stokes there showed his class again and got us over the line. That happens. It's not always going to go according to plan. That's why you play in these situations.

Q. What's it like having someone like Ben out there? All sorts of adjectives get thrown out to describe him. How would you describe him?

ADIL RASHID: He's a matrix. Batting for England, whether test matches, or T20, ODOs as well. But the goal is match winner from 12 to say 11. The batsmen before that, Milan, Moore, we all have that self-nature. But like I said, today was Ben Stokes; he got us over the line.

Q. Just a word on your own performance as well.

ADIL RASHID: It was obviously nice. It's nice to get a wicket out there.

Thought we bowled well as a unit, of the 20 overs. First four, five overs, being wild. But that's T20 cricket. Changes quickly.

Over the course of 20 overs, the innings is not just five. We had our self-belief, confident we stick to our ways, get a wicket or two, keep it tight game changes. And that's what happened.

Q. You haven't taken a wicket in a while. Does that thought ever sort of play on your mind at all?

ADIL RASHID: Not really, as long as we're winning as a team, as I'm trying my best, trying to develop, stick to the teamwork. So that's what it was.

Q. How have you been feeling over these last few weeks? Doesn't look like you've been bowling badly at all. Do you think it's more about a look than anything?

ADIL RASHID: The last T20 cricket, I can always keep saying that sometimes you may have bowled well, not got tickets. Don't bowl as well, crickets come. That's T20 cricket. All these ups and downs. That's what continued to happen throughout, not just my career, but anybody's career. Very rarely will you ever go through every game getting wickets or getting runs. Gotta take it as well.

Q. I guess tonight was a little bit tighter than you guys would have hoped in the end. But does it actually matter that the game is that tight and you kind of made it up in the middle there?

ADIL RASHID: A win is a win. Obviously definitely would have liked to get in a few overs, the best wickets down. But at the end of the day we got over the line, which is what we wanted.

We're going to show that the batting that we've got, we've got to assess the situation we are in. We've got match winners that can win the game and with that composure. It's very good.

Q. You've got a semifinal now to look forward to potentially against India, looks like, next Thursday. How much of a prospect is that? How excited are you and the squad about a knockout game again in a major tournament?

ADIL RASHID: Definitely excited. Whether it's India, South Africa, we'll definitely try our best to be on it, sticking to our strengths and sticking to our mindset and play well when we're out there. Whoever comes out there, I'm sure we'll give it 100 percent.

Q. I'm sure you're aware that there's been people questioning whether Ben Stokes would be on this T20 team. Do you feel more confident and more secure as a team, or personally do you feel more secure when he is playing?

ADIL RASHID: I don't think I was aware of that actually because I actually didn't know that. But he's a match winner, any form of the game, the bat, bowl, and field. He's shown over numerous years in different situations, different games. I think that question doesn't really need to be asked.

Q. Well, acknowledge first the question. Do you feel more confident when Stokes is in the middle, when Stokes is in the dressing room?

ADIL RASHID: I think I feel confident whether it's Stokes or Moore, whoever we've got on the team. I'm very confident.

Like I said, today, with Stokes there with the bat, knocked you off with his success, he's shown that on numerous occasions, different formats. We're confident with all of our players.

Q. I know you weren't part of the team, but during the mauling that England went out last season with The Ashes, how do you feel about tipping Australia out of the World Cup?

ADIL RASHID: It's obviously nice, coming here, playing against Australia as well as in their home conditions. Obviously they're a world-class side. Just unfortunate for them that they got knocked out this early.

But it's nice. Our job as well is to come and beat the teams in front of us. Like I said, it's nice to come up in these innings.

Q. You caught Chris Jordan's record for the most wickets in men's T20 international for England today.

ADIL RASHID: I did?

Q. So how do you reflect on that?

ADIL RASHID: Actually I didn't know that. It's nice. Obviously I don't really look at personal milestones in that sense. But it's obviously nice to be part of that.

But look at the bigger picture of winning the games for the team and try and contribute to what I can. Hopefully I can do that a couple more games.

Q. So you had no idea that you only made one --

ADIL RASHID: No, I don't actually know that.

Q. Are you doing anything differently in the last few weeks or months?

ADIL RASHID: Nothing. Everything's the same as it was a few years ago. But you always go through the ups and downs in cricket. But you work hard in the nets. Myself, in terms of bowling variation and skill, you try to implement that in the game and sometimes it comes off. Sometimes it doesn't. And that's T20 cricket. But it's making sure that you always have that self-belief in yourself.

Q. Probably would have had a wicket in the last game or so but for that dropped catch. What did you say to --

ADIL RASHID: We had a bit of a laugh about it. It wasn't too bad. Would have been nice to get a wicket. But then things happened. It was taken quite early from my side. Nobody needs to drop catches, whoever it is.

Q. What were your thoughts when the first five overs went for 50 odd and you then came on the board, the rest of the power play? Was there any chat from Josh about any adjustment in tactics or things you needed to do to pull that length back?

ADIL RASHID: Not really. Just being ready to bowl, all our bowlers, whether it's Moore, seamers, myself, because T20 is a game where innings cannot go your way the first few balls. You have to adjust. And captain throws you a ball. And it was about that. Come on, stick to what you've been doing, stay the right field and try to do that. Pretty simple in that way.

Q. I know you weren't out there batting. But the fact that there wasn't a net run rate requirement to chase down a certain amount of overs, do you think made life easier when you had that collapse? And also, similarly, when there were none for 50 after five overs, dipping it, maybe took a little bit of pressure off the ball knowing it wasn't a net run rate race there?

ADIL RASHID: I think before this game, it was very simple for us: All we had to do was win. Whether it was win last ball to spare or two overs, whatever it was.

If you needed about 15 or 20 whatever it was to win, certain balls, it would have added a bit more extra pressure because you always look at the scoreboard what you need in order to win, 18 overs to get them out, whatever it is. You always have that.

But coming into this game, it was very simple: All we had to do was win the game, last ball, whatever the situation. And thankfully we did that.

Q. You got a semifinal in Adelaide to come. And you've got some experience of playing Adelaide. What does that do for you? Does that give you extra confidence, knowledge, anything going there, a place that you know well?

ADIL RASHID: Obviously all the grounds here in Australia are very different. Adelaide is one of those that are fairly long stretch, short square. You have to adapt there. I played, four, five years back, the Big Bash. Not just myself experience, but also other players played the Big Bash there. They know the conditions a bit more in that sense it's targeting certain areas or whatever it is. That's the case wherever you go in Australia all the grounds are fairly different that way.

Q. Looks like it's going to be India, we'll find out, going to confirm tomorrow, the idea playing them in semifinal does that --

ADIL RASHID: Definitely exciting. India has big support wherever they go, especially Adelaide, Australia as well. I'm sure they'll go for it and it will be exciting and something we're all looking forward to.

Q. You now being the man of the match of the previous game, must feel good for yourself going into that match?

ADIL RASHID: Definitely bit of a surprise. I thought Stokes, he might have got it there with the match winning 30, 40.

But nice to obviously go in there, going about the match -- but obviously the next game is a fresh game, fresh start for all of us as well. I'm sure we'll all be on it.

Q. (Off microphone.)

ADIL RASHID: I think it all depends on the day and depends on the situation of the game and who we're playing against. If it's certain players with the sweep, hit down on the ground, different angles.

But sometimes you've got to adjust. Adjust the ball a bit more fuller, shorter in certain grounds. We have to wait and see and how that takes place, come out of it.

Q. (Off microphone.)

ADIL RASHID: You can bowl a bit fuller when it's a bit longer. And when it's a bit squarer, bowl a bit shorter.

And it doesn't really change. I think you've got to adapt to the conditions, field placing. You come up against different grounds, different situations, different batters. You've got to adapt all the time. Your bowling doesn't completely change from one end to the other.

Q. (Off microphone.)

ADIL RASHID: I think when a new batter comes in, maybe a bit slower. They have to take a risk for wherever it is. Again, it all depends on the situation. Some days a spinner, you might have to bowl a bit quicker because they're bowling it slower. They're coming after you. You have to bowl it quicker, adjust to whatever is in front of you.

Q. You weren't picking the first five overs. (Indiscernible) under six. England weren't picking the first six, (indiscernible) off that. Could you explain what happened in those innings?

ADIL RASHID: I think obviously, once the power play is over, you have the fielders out. Pitch was a bit tackier, bit slower. It was a bit harder to hit, to line up.

And plus also when you're getting wickets, keeping the run rate down, pressure starts building. That happened from both sides the first five, six for both innings.

It showed that the power play in the first five, six overs were very important on our side to get off to a flyer, which was going to happen. They get wickets, whatever, and they keep it tight, will be the sort of pressure and knock it over. That was something that was going to happen as well. Maybe not to the extent that we wanted, but it was going to happen.

Q. And after the sixth over (indiscernible), kind of thought, kind of sober, take single bats, all those wickets and people taking risks (indiscernible) in the game, how were you using the wickets? Were they under?

ADIL RASHID: Not really. That's the way we play. All the batsmen know their role and how they want to go about things. Probably just a misexecution of a shot.

Play a shot, going to be positive and aggressive. Look to hit the boundaries when you can. But sometimes you try to hit it and you get out.

So I don't think we were very disappointed in that. But we're still going to maintain that positive mindset going forward. Because some days, like you said, like today, didn't really come off with certain players but got over the line. So hopefully comes next game we keep that mindset and hopefully we get over there.

Q. Milan came off (indiscernible). How is he feeling?

ADIL RASHID: I don't actually know yet. He was obviously a bit sore coming off the ground, the whole team. Hopefully he'll feel good. We don't know actually what's happening yet.