"There wasn't that much pressure on us – it was all on Pakistan’s side" : Gulbadin Naib

[MenInG]

Injury to Hassan was turning point in Afghanistan’s defeat by Pakistan, says Naib

Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib says the loss of key bowler Hamid Hassan was the turning point in their nail-biting defeat by Pakistan.

Naib's side were on the wrong end of another close finish after narrow defeats to India and Sri Lanka, coming within a whisker of defending 227 but falling three wickets and two balls short.

Hassan, an experienced campaigner with a decade of ODI experience, hobbled off with a hamstring injury after two overs and his skipper bemoaned it as a fatal blow.

"If Hamid was there at the end, we could have fought and kept the pressure," said Gulbadin.

"The main turning point was losing him, he bowled two overs and then had to go off. That was a key point.

“The wicket was very slow and didn’t suit some of our bowlers, especially me. Without Hamid it was very difficult to defend any total.

“We lost our main bowler – I wouldn’t have bowled more than three or four overs if we hadn’t lost him.”

Gulbadin opted to bowl himself rather than Samiullah Shinwari in the 46th over, conceding 18 runs and three boundaries as Imad Wasim propelled Pakistan to a fourth win of the tournament.

While none of their batsmen were able to convert starts into big scores, Afghanistan posted a very competitive total on a Headingley track helpful to the spinners.

Their twirlers Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan turned the screw, combining for five wickets, and the run-outs of skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shadab Khan heightened nerves.

But Afghanistan fell short of a first victory at the eighth attempt and Gulbadin paid tribute to Pakistan’s performance, particularly the decisive 49 made by Imad.

"There's no special reason we are losing these tight games,” he said.

“It was another close game and in other games, against India and Sri Lanka, we had good opportunities to beat this kind of team.

"There wasn't that much pressure on us – it was all on Pakistan’s side. Credit goes to them and how they finished the game in those conditions.

"We were very close to beating them, but how Imad rotated the strike and controlled his innings deserves a lot of credit.”

ICC Media Release

 

[PakLFC]

He is correct. There is never any pressure on a team already eliminated from the tournament. We all know Afghanistan are a team of losers. Scotland or Ireland would have done better then them had they been in the WC.

 

[jnaveen1980]

They should donate their spinnres to three Asian countries. For India i would gladly take Mujibur !!

 

[MenInG]

29 June - Leeds - Afghanistan Captain Gulbadin Naib post-match press conference

Q. Gulbadin, you were so close to winning there. Was it pressure, lack of experience? Why do you think ultimately you lost that match?
GULBADIN NAIB: Not pressure. Pressure on the Pakistan side. But they did really well. We had bad luck. With Hamid Hassan (injury), he's our main bowler. The wicket is really slow. It's not supporting, especially medium pacers like me, it's not that much for them. But the bad luck is that Hamid was unfit, so if he was still in the end, so maybe it would be really difficult for them. I think the main turning point is Hamid. He bowled two overs, and after he has a hamstring injury and then he goes off. He was still in the game in the end, he fights still in the end. And the pressure would still be on the Pakistan side. But credit goes to them, how they played and how they finished the game. So from my side, the turning point is the middle. So we missed him in the end.

Q. As you said, it's very close, but throughout the game the fans from both sides were fighting and everything. Would you advise the fans to play with a little more within the spirit of the game and everything, because it got a little over the top.
GULBADIN NAIB: Actually, everyone, they love their players, they love their heroes. They also want to meet everyone. So they're not teasing the players on the ground. So they don't want harm anyone. They just want to hug and touch. So for me it's nothing. So it's not good for them coming on the ground. So it's not -- also you can say discipline-wise it's not feeling good at the end. So they should be outside the playing area. So I'm saying that I think they love players. That's why they come on the ground.

Q. Your team lost a match, eight in a row and three times you were very close to win. What is the reason behind you, your team is weeping after the match of Pakistan? Is there any reason behind?
GULBADIN NAIB: Nothing special. If you look to why... today we lost the game very close. And also two other games against India, also against Sri Lanka, because we have a good opportunity to beat this kind of team. So, but one thing -- because the wicket is really slow, so I say again. So if Hamid is there until the end, it's a turning point for me, especially because until the end so if he bowled two, three overs, it's really difficult for them. The wicket was totally slow, totally slow. But because if you lose one bowler in the start of the innings, it's very difficult for, in this kind of total, defending, 220, 230, it's nothing with this kind of team, Pakistan. They play really good cricket the last couple of games. But one time we are really close, really close to beat them. But, and also how Imad returned to take the strike and how he controls his nerves on the wicket. So credit goes to Imad's innings. He played brilliantly.

Q. Do you feel let down, the behaviour of some of the spectators outside, literally hurting fellow cricketers from Pakistan? Do you feel let down by them?
GULBADIN NAIB: No, no, especially I see -- they love -- I love this kind of audience to cause the cheering, both sides. So also our fans, they were watching very closely. But from my side, I think they love players because it's really difficult to reach them anywhere because everyone have their dream players and they're watching them in these kind of matches. So they're really excited to meet them and to hug them. But it's not good to come in the ground, to teasing the players or teasing the ground staff and other staff. But I think it's nothing special from my side.

Q. It seems that you're probably not aware that there was some serious conflict between spectators from fans from both teams. You're probably not aware that maybe punches were thrown. So basically I'm saying that perhaps you can give a message of peace to fans of both nations. And how is that in the middle? How is that in the middle?
GULBADIN NAIB: That atmosphere was pretty good between --we're here for, like, leave a good impression of my team and also my country. So if you look at my country, so there's not good going on, like, in the last 40, 45 years. But we're here to show to the world, so we want like friendship to anyone. And we are really excited to play this kind of tournament or this kind of match with any one team. And also, of course, to all the audience who behind the scenes to watching this kind of matches, so this is only a cricket game. Just watch the cricket game. It's a sports. But I'm not going the other way. I'm just playing for my country and cricket and nothing else. Just if I'm playing my cricket, still how -- but if I'm not then I support my team back home. But it goes to all audiences who are watching matches, please just watch like a sports, not like other. It's really good.

Q. When you bowled the 46th over, Sami was left also, you could have gone with spinners, but you brought yourself on. What was the thought process? What was the planning at that time?
GULBADIN NAIB: We had the feeling they were targeting not every bowler. So every team have their plans so I think the crucial point is for the 46th over that I bowled, so 18 runs -- it's not really good. Because I said if Hamid was there, so maybe I didn't bowl more than three or four overs, because I have not that much enough speed of this kind of surface.

Q. But do you think Sami could bowl that?
GULBADIN NAIB: Yeah, he could have -- he bowled really well, but later times, last seven matches continuing. So I feel better than Sami. But I suppose I have Hamid on the ground on my side, so especially from my side, I didn't, maybe I didn't bowl more than three or four overs. And also we have option for Sami. But Sami bowled really well. But if you have this kind of total, so you should be have good bowler until the end. So they will be bowled like good relations. So Hamid. I think it was better Hamid in the side.

 

[jnaveen1980]

He should have a translator

 

[Major]

Hes right on the pressure part

Howeer as for bowling overs, hes being foolish, even if Hamid bowled, he would had been tonked for runs

He was required to bowled Samiullah. Samiullah bowled 8 overs, he could had bowled more.

Another mistake that he made was , when he saw the amount of spin, he could had even bought Rehmat Shah to bowl 2 or 3 overs of legspin

 

[shehwar]

His answer on why he didn’t bowl Sami makes zero sense

 

[jnaveen1980]

His answer on why he didn’t bowl Sami makes zero sense

yup. Bunch of nonsense.

 

[member250]

Dont tell me this guy is captain? Lmao

 

[Zaz]

His answer on why he didn’t bowl Sami makes zero sense

Yes Both the decision and his comments are illogical and incomprehensible

 

[mak36]

Disagree. If Hamid had been fit, that would have suited Pakistan, especially Haris.

 

[shaykh]

Hes right on the pressure part

Howeer as for bowling overs, hes being foolish, even if Hamid bowled, he would had been tonked for runs

He was required to bowled Samiullah. Samiullah bowled 8 overs, he could had bowled more.

Another mistake that he made was , when he saw the amount of spin, he could had even bought Rehmat Shah to bowl 2 or 3 overs of legspin

Rehmat Shah said he couldn't bowl...hurt his shoulder or something...but then he fielder so dunno what the deal is with that...

 

[Sherlock]

The flexing of the biceps don't come in handy in a defeat, and the subsequent post match interviews.

 

[Tommo]

Dont tell me this guy is captain? Lmao

This guy is the captain

 

[Slog]

Lol not having Hamid was blessing for disguise for Afghanistan. He was forced to give spinners 30 to 40 overs or so.

This Pakistan lineup is very good against pace bowling if it’s not express

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Lol not having Hamid was blessing for disguise for Afghanistan. He was forced to give spinners 30 to 40 overs or so.

This Pakistan lineup is very good against pace bowling if it’s not express

We played Ferguson, Archer, Starc pretty easily.

 

[farazaidi]

who made him captain? he is a complete idiot. His stupid decision to bowl himself cost them the game and now he is doing an even worse job defending that decision

 

[Slog]

We played Ferguson, Archer, Starc pretty easily.

No my point is that if it’s buffet 78-85mph bowling we are really good.

We may have played this too bowlers well but I see them as atleast threatening especially if it was pressure situation with 5+ down.

Against Hamid I’d back regardless sir game context

 

[Third Man]

No my point is that if it’s buffet 78-85mph bowling we are really good.

We may have played this too bowlers well but I see them as atleast threatening especially if it was pressure situation with 5+ down.

Against Hamid I’d back regardless sir game context

Hamid Hasan is not 78-85 buffet. He's 85-90.

 

[superman]

it was a great toss to win and had Pakistan batted first with not that much spin it would not have been as close a finish.

 

[mastersaan10]

pitch was turning, couple of shadab deliveries turned sharply. but i don't know why everyone is praising rashid? he cost his team the match by being the most expensive spinner. nabi and mujeeb are ahead of him in 50 over cricket

 

[sshakir411]

these Afghans need to go back to India and come back when they have a friggin clue on how to win a game.

 

[shane]

I don't buy it. You could see when watching the match that Afghanistan were under tremendous pressure. That's why Asghar dropped that crucial catch. That's why they were elated each time a Pakistani wicket fell. They were desperate to win.