ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

November 7, 2021

Adam Milne

Sheikh Zayed Stadium

New Zealand

Post Match Media Conference

New Zealand 125/2, Afghanistan 124/8

Q. Adam, how much did you enjoy that spell? You just kept bowling rockets. It's even more impressive under this heat.

ADAM MILNE: I think it was pleasing to have a good performance for the whole bowling unit. I thought the way Timmy and Trent started us off really sort of brought a great intensity to the start of the bowling spell. And then I was able to sort of continue on that, which was good.

Q. I believe you missed 2015 semifinal and final at home with injury. Now you could potentially do it for New Zealand. How special is that feeling and how excited are you looking forward to the semis and so on and so forth?

ADAM MILNE: Obviously to come from the reserves and be part of the World Cup now is pretty special, and to qualify for the semifinals, it's a great moment. And hopefully looking forward to the semifinal, we can put on a performance and make it into the final.

Q. You guys restricted Pakistan to 135, India 110, and Afghanistan 125. These three are the biggest T20 sides. According to you, you are probably facing England in semifinal at Abu Dhabi, the same venue. What should you focus on the most, the same seamers or the spinners? I mean, which area do you need to improve, either it's the batting or seaming or the spinners?

ADAM MILNE: Well, I think T20 cricket it's important to put a full team performance in. Obviously the bowling group has been doing well as a group. And you know in T20 cricket, any one day a few guys can have their day. It's important as a group we sort of bowl well and restrict and try to be aggressive and then obviously with the bat we've been pretty clinical so far. So hopefully that can continue.

Q. You've obviously got, in your attack, you've got an attack with five specialist bowlers. That's an important aspect to the side complex you control the aims when you're bowling.

ADAM MILNE: I think so. It gives Kane a lot of options. We've also got James Neesham who bowled really well today. We've got Daryl Mitchell we can bowl and Glenn Phillips who can bowl. So I think there's a lot of guys on the team that can offer something when required.

So to have those five specialists, yeah, I think it's been good for us. Kane sort of has a key bowler he likes to go to. It's been nice to be part of that five.

Q. For you, with your role, do you see it as enforcer, if you like, being aggressive to take wickets especially in the middle overs?

ADAM MILNE: Yes, I think so. What we're trying to do is keep coming in bowling fast, use my changeups, be aggressive. Use the short ball, so, yeah.

Q. And in terms of the lengths in this competition, a lot of teams bowling a little shorter than further, is that quite an option, do you think?

ADAM MILNE: I think it depends on the grounds you're playing at. The wickets you're playing on. Whether they're also the teams you're playing against. Subcontinental teams, you're looking to bowl a little bit shorter. They're very good front-foot players. You're looking to push them back before you bring them forward like we did today with the Afghanistan team.

So it depends on the teams and the pitches.

Q. What about Devon's catch as well? I think probably as good as he's bowled, the (indiscernible) catch?

ADAM MILNE: Great catch. He's a great mover and good use of the bubble to regather up.

Q. What's been the key for you guys as seam bowlers sort of adjusting to the conditions you faced at the three venues you've now played at?

ADAM MILNE: I think sort of the communication amongst the group has been big. Having guys, Boult I haven't played as much, but been around the IPL with Timmy. And Seth as well, knowing the grounds and different dimensions the way different wickets have been playing, it's been really key for us to have that clarity and going into the game knowing sort of the skills and things we need to produce.

Q. We obviously saw Jimmy bowl today. Seam-heavy attack. Was that the expectation sort of heading into the match or was that an adjustment once you were out there?

ADAM MILNE: Not entirely sure on that. Probably one for Kane I would have thought.

But I think Kane just sort of plays it how he sees it. Obviously Seth probably wasn't ideal him bowling to the left-hander that was in. Jimmy got a couple of overs. He bowled really well. And Kane obviously bowled me out early. So it left an over for Ish at the end which he bowled really well as well.

Q. The bowling performances as touched on have been strong throughout this tournament. What's going to be the key to sort of keeping it going for what's hopefully going to be these last two matches?

ADAM MILNE: I think most of the same sort of stuff being adaptable but being aggressive. The game changes in T20 if you're able to take wickets at a start like we were today. If we can continue to do that, that will put us in good positions to be able to control the innings. Whatever team we were playing the semifinal is going to be a really good team. And probably likely very aggressive.

So we just need to make sure we go and bat with some aggression and use our skills as well.

Q. How is the leadership of Kane, is crucial for the current matches, like the way his leadership has transformed the team?

ADAM MILNE: Kane's obviously been around the game a long time. And he's been around again someone that's been around the IPL and the grounds and the conditions and just sort of balls and working. So very key in leadership-wise and just sort of controlling the field and things like that.

But I think as well the experience of the bowling group, when you've got Tim and Trent leading the way with the experience they have. It's easy to sort of learn and listen off them and they're able to show you the right way to go about things.

Q. Looks like you're playing England next unless Pakistan loses to Scotland and it looks like Jason Roy will probably be missing. Given the powerful opening partnership he's formed with Josh Butler so far does that make your job slightly easier?

ADAM MILNE: Obviously very disappointed for Jason. You don't want to wish that on anyone. Having been in the same sort of position myself. But I think when you look at the England order they've got guys that can easily slot into open, Jonny Bairstow has opened before. So I think whatever team they have coming out against us, it's going to be a really strong team. We'll have to be right on the mark.

Q. I know it's a different format and you weren't playing in that game but is there any sense of unfinished business after what happened two years ago at Lord's?

ADAM MILNE: I don't think so, no. I think most of the guys have put that in the past and we're firmly looking forward to going out and playing in the semifinal in this World Cup.

Q. You have at least to the semifinals with England once again. What do you think you face in challenge?

ADAM MILNE: Obviously, they're a world-class team that's sort of proven over the last few years that in white ball competitions they're extremely strong. They've got a powerful batting order and a very skilled bowling group. We know it's going to be a real tough challenge. But saying that we've got a really good group again also some really skilled bowlers, seamers and spinners and a really good batting group. We're confident we can go out and beat anyone in this tournament.

Q. Would you be able to talk us through your dismissal of Mohammad Shahzad, the line length and the planning behind it?

ADAM MILNE: I didn't think it was that great of a ball. But the plan for us today was to use our short balls and try to push them back early. So I think that was my plan early to try and push him back and sort of bowled a relatively short one. And managed to get an inch and caught behind, which was very fortunate.

Overall that was our plan to push them back a little bit and then we were able to sort of pitch it back up and attach the stumps and use the changeups from there.

Q. I have a question for you about the opposition you just faced. You know, when you started your international career, I think you got your first cap at T20 over a decade ago. Afghanistan was not a major player in the international scene. And now had they won this match with enough of a margin, they might have eliminated you from the competition. And you've had a unique perspective on their ascent. You've played with some of their top players in various T20 tournaments around the world. What can you say about the ascent of Afghanistan cricket that you've watched over the past decade?

ADAM MILNE: Obviously they're a great team. They've got some great players. Now the way they've sort of built over the last sort of two years, you can just see by their presence of their players, and the big T20 tournaments, the IPL and the Blast and Big Bash, a number of their players are playing in all of those tournaments.

It really shows the development of the team cricket-wise. They've got some extremely skilled players. Rashid Khan's one of the best bowlers, if not the best bowler, in T20 cricket. They're an incredibly talented group, and I only see them continuing to develop and become better and better.