ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

October 24, 2021

Calum Macleod

Sharjah Stadium

Scotland

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. You're going to come up against Rashid Khan tomorrow, and you've bested him before at the qualifiers in 2018 and had a chance to play him in June this year in T20 Blast. What's the key to bat against him in this format, especially on such pitches that tend to favour spinners a lot?

CALUM MACLEOD: First thing, I think it'll be a challenge against all their spinners. I think everyone understands the attack that Afghanistan have got with three world-class spinners in there.

I think the biggest thing is you have to try and put the pressure back on them. I think like all the top-class teams that you play against, if you let the bowlers just bowl at you, their skills will be too good for you over a period, so I think you have to find a method of putting the pressure back on them, whether that be with sweeping or coming down the wicket, whatever your method is about it, and I think you've got to stick to it and be pretty disciplined to go with it.

Q. You had a very, very good performance, the team had a very good performance in the initial round. How do you rate your chances overall against the Afghanistan team?

CALUM MACLEOD: I think the good thing of having the first round is that we've come in with confidence. We've obviously topped that group with three good hard games of cricket, so I think we'll come into the game with confidence.

Obviously I think it'll be Afghanistan's first game in the tournament, and we can also go in there and put some pressure on them.

I said it before this started the first round, we feel we've got a batting unit filled with some exciting powerful players, and we just hope that we'll be able to showcase that and go out and -- just because we're now into the Super 12s, I don't think that changes much for us. I think we'll come and play the aggressive type of cricket we want to play.

Q. Obviously in your group there's a lot of experience, but can you just maybe touch on Shane and Kyle's kind of relationship and how that kind of leadership works with the group?

CALUM MACLEOD: Yeah, it's a great combo. They try and keep things as relaxed as possible. Obviously out here in specifically this tour in the bubble, in the bubble life in hotels, they've made sure that we've all been able to do things, find ways of enjoying things that we want to do, so when we get to the cricket it's a nice relaxed atmosphere.

I think that's been one of the best things they've done. They've managed to keep it fun. Every time we turn up to the ground, everyone is just raring to go.

On top of that, they've found a way of giving everyone a role and a real clarity to go out there and play the way that we need to for the team, and I think that's shown so far. Guys have come in, you look at the way that Chris Greaves and Mike Leask specifically have taken to their roles, I think it's been brilliant, and I think that comes from the confidence that Shane and Kyle have given them.

Q. How significant has this qualification for the Super 12 stage of this T20 World Cup been for the whole team?

CALUM MACLEOD: I think it's hugely significant, not just for the team but for the organisation and some of the aspirations that Cricket Scotland have. We want to be the leading associate, and we want to push our case to be the next full member.

I think if you look specifically at the way Afghanistan and Ireland did it, they did it from doing well at World Cups, and I think we've now got five great opportunities to go out and show world cricket what this organisation and the team is about.

Then for the players it's a great showcasing opportunity to show some of the Twenty20 skills that this group has and get them out there on the world stage. You never know what sort of opportunities can come on the back of this for some of the players if they have a good group stage.

Q. I just wanted to ask you, from the disappointment of not qualifying for the 2019 World Cup where there was so many close losses and fine margins to winning all three matches here and progressing to the next stage, can you just talk to us about the contrast of emotions there and the journey there?

CALUM MACLEOD: Yeah, I think sometimes you need those disappointments to really spur us on. I don't think there's ever been a game of cricket I've thought about as much as that West Indies loss, and I think that framed a lot of the way we changed the way we trained, trained in a little bit more specific ways about key moments and winning things.

It started with Grant, and then Shane has come in and carried that on brilliantly, to a stage now where some of these key moments that happen in games that we don't even probably think about as much as we might have used to, and I think that shows in the way that we're playing. Guys are playing with so much clarity and confidence and a smile on their face that we want those moments. We want to be in those moments, and each one of us wants to be the guy that stands up and wins that game for the team.

I think that's just the maturity of the squad being together for a number of years now, that we know each other well and we know how each other is going to win the game. I think that's just the way the team has matured.

Q. What was the atmosphere back home after the news of the qualification?

CALUM MACLEOD: Yeah, it was amazing the messages from so many different people. I think all of Cricket Scotland has been waiting for this sort of moment where we do it on the world stage and show just how good we are and how much passion there is for the game in Scotland. There's so many clubs and so many different people involved from junior ages all the way up to the senior men's and women's teams that have gotten involved in pushing this organisation forward.

I think everybody was just ecstatic and excited to see us go on to the Super 12s and show what we've got.

Q. And what about the family?

CALUM MACLEOD: The family were delighted, even if it means being away for a bit longer. Yeah, mom and dad were obviously very proud, and they've helped me a lot since I first started with Cricket Scotland at age 11, and then my wife and my young son were delighted, as well.

Q. Afghanistan's top order boasts of quite a few big hitters and fast starters, which is key in Sharjah, but at the same time Scotland bowlers have enjoyed great success in the preliminary round in the powerplay. How do you look at that matchup?

CALUM MACLEOD: I think it's going to be a fascinating matchup. I think it will help both our batters and challenge the bowlers in a different way. I think Oman, the pitch was maybe not quite so conducive to the powerplay for the batters, so I think as a batting unit we're going to have to change quickly to what a par score in the powerplay is going to be, and our bowlers are going to be put under some definite pressure. But I think these are three seamers who we've relied on so far, even if Mark Watt has to bowl in the powerplay, as well. I think we've got a unit who can swing the ball that can bowl with definite skills who hopefully will be able to challenge what is a dangerous Afghanistan top order and hopefully come out on top.