Rashid Khan (Afghanistan Captain) post-match Press Conference - 22nd June 2024
[Reporter:]
I saw an interview with you before this tournament about how [Glenn] Maxwell's innings last year kept you awake at night. Did you have a moment there that you thought you might be having some more sleepless nights?
[Rashid Khan:]
Yeah, I think so. I think I can sleep better now. But that was a night which didn't let me sleep. The game kept coming into my mind and it was 90 plus percent we were in the game and Maxi the way he played that that night took the game away from us and definitely I didn't sleep whole night and I feel like tonight because of the happiness I won't be able to sleep. That's how happy the whole team is in the whole country. And it's a massive win for us as a team, as a nation. It's not just like a bilateral game. It's a World Cup game, and definitely in a World Cup, you're beating a best side. It's a great achievement. And you're the winners of 2021 World Cup. So, beating a team like that, I think it always gives you so much energy and doesn't let you to sleep as well.
[Reporter:]
First of all, I know how huge this is for you and for your nation who has just started their day back home in Afghanistan. On my way to this conference, lots of Australians bumped into me and they wanted me to tell you how proud they were of you. What does it mean to you, and what do you think it means to Afghanistan as a cricketing nation?
[Rashid Khan:]
Well, it means a lot. As I said earlier, beating teams like Australia, as we have beaten teams in 2023 World Cup, we have beaten New Zealand this year. It gives the people back home so much hopes and especially to the young generation getting involved into the cricket and getting the attention into the sports and also the nation - cricket is the only source of happiness back home, you all know that. And I feel like we are so lucky to be here giving those happiness to the people back home. We hardly see those kind of events back home where they could celebrate and enjoy those moments. But these little games, big games, to be honest, in the World Cups, give them so much happiness. And that's something which really, really satisfy me. I don't care about taking one wicket, two, three, five, six wickets - but when I see those people having those smiles and celebration back home in every street of Afghanistan, that is something which gives me so much, so much energy and also motivates me for the upcoming games, where I will be able to make them more proud. As a team we can make them more proud and give them more happiness.
[Reporter:]
Rashid, have you ever seen Australia field like that, dropping so many catches and so many missed fields? And did you think that was a big difference in the match, particularly how well Afghanistan fielded?
[Rashid Khan:]
Well, I think fielding is something very important. It plays a massive role in the game. Either you play T20 or ODI, but fielding is something which is under the control. That you have to put the effort in - once you have that bad day in the fielding. It always keeps you away from the game and I think in T20 especially a short format where you make those small mistakes, it's pretty hard for you to come back. In ODI, yes, you have 50 overs where you can have the comeback. But to me, I think in T20, you don't have any excuse. You don't have any space where you can come back again into the game. And definitely, I think fielding play a crucial role as the batting and bowling. To me, batting and bowling is 25-25. 50% is something which is fielding. If you lose something in that, it does make you to a losing side.
[Reporter:]
Rashid, for years we've been saying Gulbadin [Naib] do that [celebration] after taking wickets. So, what does it mean to him and you guys? He is such a senior member of this side. Four wickets today, the great catch and obviously a lot of showing off his biceps and just can you talk about him?
[Rashid Khan:]
Well, his muscle, he's always celebrating those, that style. Either he takes wicket, take catch, whatever he does, that is his celebration and that's the way he celebrates his success and I'm so happy for him the way he stood up. It wasn't an easy for him to bowl from that end, where that strong wind and a bowler like him, it's pretty hard. But he just used his experience, and he has been playing for Afghanistan for long. So, I think that experience really help us today and that's how you keep those big players for the big games and he honestly got the opportunity he delivered.
[Reporter:]
Dwayne Bravo was seen patrolling the boundary and that on two occasions, he spoke to your bowlers - once at backward square and sometime at fine leg. How impactful was his involvement during that match in getting your bowlers to remain focused?
[Rashid Khan:]
Well, I think we as a team, we have the kind of batters, the bowlers where they always need that reminder. Sometimes they forget the things what we discuss in the meeting. Coach is here - He's looking at me. So, he knows as well, especially in the batting department as well, whenever we forget some things we discuss in the meeting, coach is there, head coach, he keeps reminding them. And that's something, side like this, you need to have those people who reminds the things to you and same DJ, the bowler sometime in the heat moment of the game, they forget the things what we planned for specific batsman and DJ is always there to remind them what we had planned and what we are doing. So that's the kind of discussion we always have and I feel there are some players who need reminders, some players they have things in their mind and experience. So, our side, once they are well guided, I think they know where to go and how to deliver.
[Reporter:]
Your wicket keeper Gurbaz looked pretty fired up today, particularly with Marcus Stoinis. Can you just kind of maybe explain what might have been behind that. Did he, like, who kind of started it?
[Rashid Khan:]
Well, some guys in the team, they need that kind of fire up. Once they keep silent, they forget how good they are and they need the kind of fire up in the middle. And to be honest, in this game, most happiest thing I have seen was the running between the wicket, between Ibrahim and Gurbaz. And it all came from those sledging, I feel. They had that kind of conversation. While watching from outside, I felt like they had the competition with the fielders. I'm going to take two runs. I'm going to take one run and things like that. So, what happened with that is that kept them involved in the game, and they focused on scoring runs. I think the advantage went to us because we had that perfect 100 run partnership. In a wicket like this, I think it's always a wicket of 130-140. If you have a good bowling lineup, we have seen a few games before as well. So yeah, I think we should keep him the same in upcoming games as well where he gets his own energy but we don't want him to keep quiet. That's something some players do need – that fire up.
[Reporter:]
Is there any extra level of feeling beating Australia given they've declined to play against Afghanistan in bilateral cricket recently?
Just in terms of the satisfaction of beating Australia or the emotion of beating Australia? Is there any more to that because Australia has declined to play against Afghanistan recently?
[Rashid Khan:]
Well, we the sportsmen and we love sports. People back home, they love sports. And I mentioned earlier, cricket is the only source of happiness back home. That's the only source left in Afghanistan where people could celebrate. And if we keep that source away from us as well, I don't know where Afghanistan will remain. Nowadays, all around the world, if you go somewhere, you ask someone, I'm from Afghanistan. The next thing he says, any of the cricketer name that he's playing there, he's playing there. But once you take this source and happiness as well from us, I think it's going to be hard for us.
So, we the sportsmen, we only think about the cricket. As we all the time, everyone is saying, sports bring the nation together and bring everyone together. So, for me, we're always happy to play against any side, and that's the only way where our cricket can get improving day by day. Some things, which is not under the control of anyone in cricket, and that's something we can't do anything about it. Wish we could do something, and wish that was a kind of solution for it, we would have been happy, but I don't know what's the solution for that. But we as a nation, that's the only source where we could play, enjoy, bring happiness to the country, and we get better day by day.
So, we're happy to play any side, but some - as I mentioned earlier, some things, government, and political things, I don't know much about these things and I don't like it as well. So, I have no answer for this, but my only thing always in the mind is I love to play against the big teams. I love to travel all around the world to play and I have received so much so much love from everyone. Whenever I go to Australia in Big Bash, I think I have got so much love and support from the fans there. They have given me so much love. Even though in 2022 World Cup, when we were playing in Adelaide against Australia, I got more support than them. And that was so satisfying. Playing here in Australia, I'm from Afghanistan and I'm getting that massive support and every city I go the huge amount of support is there and people loves giving me so much loves in that hospitality, especially the tough days in 2019 my dad passed away so that was the hardest time for me when I was in Australia. And the amount of love and support I got from everyone in the team, and also the fans, I think I call them a family.
So, I have so much fans there, so much people there. But as I said, I love to play everywhere all around the world. And those things which are not under the control, and cricket is not the solution, I don't think we can bring sports into that. If there is other solution, you can take that. But don't think cricket is the solution of politics and things like that. So, yeah, if we play in World Cup, why don't we play in bilateral series? I think we're happy to play against the best side. We learn from them. We get better day by day. But that's the only thing I can say.
