	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

March 8, 2015

Mohammad Nabi

NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND

Q. Nabi, after the experiences in Perth against a very strong Australia team, was the performance in this match any reflection on what went on there, the long journey you had? Were you at all tired or weary coming into this game?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, but I really gave a not good game. We are respecting against Australia. But the way he played, maybe it's the No. 1 team in the world out there. Conditions are part of it. But from long journey, it's not quite good to use a (Indiscernible) as well, and the boys are too tired as well from the traveling. Every single match after the next morning we are traveling from 10 to 12 hour flights and the next day two days we have rest. It's quite difficult to play after three days. But the way we played against New Zealand today again, we didn't expect like 180. But if we scored 280, 270, maybe it's a different kind of match. But maybe the boys played well at that.

Q. Were you disappointed that it was the spin that caused you trouble at the start of the outing? Picking up those four wickets, had you put a lot of planning into facing the quicker bowler maybe? Were you slightly surprised at the way they bowled today?
MOHAMMAD NABI: No, not that. But in the whole tournament, top 5 batsmen didn't click in five games. It's a hard luck team as well, to not click, and also we bowled brilliantly in the first two overs and also in the end as well. They took four wickets on just 16 or 17 runs. It's part of the game, and we'll do our best in the next game as well.

Q. You took some positives with Shenwari and Najibullah who helped you recover with that partnership. Is that something you think the rest of the top order can learn from that if you play time and play yourself in, you can score runs against even the best attacks in the world?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, the way Najibullah and Shenwari partnership maybe 60 or 70 runs partnership, that's quite good. And maybe the top order will maybe learn from that as well. So getting in and taking responsibility as well.

Q. Can you just talk a little more about Najibullah, because he is a very attacking, free-scoring batsman. Does that go with his personality?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, on the team he's an aggressive player as well. And he proved in the end as well that just he used the last 10, last 15 overs to hit big shots as well. But the conditions, and we didn't give him a big platform for Najibullah. And every match they have a little bit under pressure as well after losing the only wickets on the low scoring. But today he played very well in the pressure game as well.

Q. Can you give us a sense of what you feel you have learned in the World Cup so far? You've still got a game to go, and you'll probably fancy beating England, but what have you learned? What is the important things that you take out of the World Cup experience?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, it's against big teams. If you play totally different from playing against associate teams and come here to play against full test nation, it's quite difficult to adjust with that conditions, and that condition of fast bowlers, world class bowlers, world class spinners, and also world class batsmen as well. But you know that England also is in trouble in the World Cup as well, and we'll try our heart and give a hundred percent at that match as well.

Q. You've played Australia and New Zealand now in quick succession. Who is the better team? Who are you tipping to win the tournament?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Both are in the -- they have home grounds and they played the form of New Zealand. They're quite good. Also Australia, maybe they're very good both of them. I'm saying that Australia is the best or New Zealand is the best, both of the teams are quite good and quite balanced.

Q. How was Shenwari after that blow on the head? He seemed a little bit dizzy afterwards. He was on the field. He's clearly okay now, but was he struggling a little bit after that blow?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, he was hit on the helmet, and a little bit under a few minutes there. But after he got out, he put some ice on the head. Yeah, he's all right now, yeah. Not a big issue.

Q. You mentioned that it's been a great experience to be playing against test nations and things like that. But are you a bit disappointed that looking ahead and looking towards the next World Cup, thinking of limiting associate teams? Are you disappointed that there is a potential that this is the only time that you're going to be participating in a World Cup at this sort of venue and this sort of stage?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, we expected a lot at that tournament to play good cricket and to show it to the world. But we showed in the bowling, we have good fast bowlers and we have good fielders as well. But we didn't show it in our talent on the batting side because in the top order we didn't click in the whole tournament. Yeah, it's hard for the next World Cup, but we try our best, and we play against full members more games just with those kind of conditions, yeah.

Q. New Zealand have not had a great -- well, one, but they haven't chased very well this tournament. Did you feel at halftime, hey, boys we're in this if we get a couple really quick wickets and McCullum doesn't get away?
MOHAMMAD NABI: Yeah, if we take only wickets off New Zealand it may be a different match in the ground. It seemed like we play against Sri Lanka. If we take four wickets it's quite tough game and same here. If you take quick early wickets, maybe it's a more difficult match.

Q. You brought yourself on when McCullum got going. Was that the plan when you guys went out to the field if you got going to let the ball spin?
MOHAMMAD NABI: No, it's not in the plan. But I just changed the side. The other bowlers, the next end, but it's quite good to take a wicket as well.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297