T20 WC: Afghanistan Coach Trott Hails Ibrahim’s Resilience On Hitting 53 In Victory Over UAE

T20 WC: Afghanistan coach Trott hails Ibrahim’s resilience on hitting 53 in victory over UAE (Image Source: IANS)

T20 World Cup: Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott praised opener Ibrahim Zadran’s mental strength after his match-winning 53 took the side home in a chase of 161 against the UAE, saying the youngster showed the ability to bounce back from setbacks.

At the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Zadran hit a composed 53 off 41 balls while Azmatullah Omarzai’s cameo of 40 not out ensured the chase was completed for Afghanistan with four balls to spare, even as UAE’s bowlers fought hard to keep the contest alive.

The result also means Afghanistan have kept their slim hopes of reaching the Super Eights alive, though it could be dashed if New Zealand beat Canada in Chennai on Tuesday. Zadran steadied the innings through a fluent knock laced with five fours and a six and played his part in sealing Afghanistan’s first points in the tournament.

“It was great, the mental strength, and he obviously had two disappointing performances for him, you would say. Against New Zealand, he looked set, and against South Africa, he looked in great form. But the strength of Ibrahim is that he is always able to bounce back and play good cricket shots, and today obviously he lost his mate early on.”

“They have such a good record. I'd like to see their opening record against the best players in the world. I think they've got a fantastic record batting together. So that's a real strong point for us. Losing early wickets, but being able to hold his nerve and having that mental strength from Ibrahim was brilliant today,” said Trott, while replying to a query from IANS in the post-match press conference.

Reflecting on the tense finish, Trott said the side had shown resilience in closing out a tight chase, especially after suffering the heartbreaking loss to South Africa by a double Super Over in Ahmedabad.

“We played really well and were under pressure. But that's the pleasing thing for me as a coach, and what I've liked is that it would have been a lot easier. But at the end of the day, when you come out on the right side of pressure situations like we were having in the history of the last game, I've certainly seen a shift.

“We've lost tight games like that, and then after that, it's been hard to pull it back, the confidence. So I see a bit of an improvement in the resilience, cricketing-wise, but also mentally.

“Sure, there's a lot of work still to be done, and that's going to be exciting to watch, but I'm really pleased the guys can come away, and we can go off to Chennai. I'm really excited about playing an important game against Canada with a bit of confidence,” he added.

Trott also called for more exposure for Afghanistan in different conditions via bilateral affairs. “I would like a lot more bilateral series also away from home or out of the UAE or out of the subcontinent, learning to play in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, playing against different teams other than the subcontinent.

“That would be fantastic for the development of the side -- so I'd be all for that, and I'd like to see that in the new future tours programme. It'd be really interesting to see how that shapes up when that's released and the opportunity the guys get. So I'd be very much for that, and whatever can help the players, I'm all for it,” he said.

Allrounder Gulbadin Naib, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that the team’s first win of the tournament was a relief, insisting every match remained a challenge. “Relief? Since I started playing cricket, every match is a challenge for us. In terms of relief, you can say that when you come for a purpose and try, because we can try, and if you lose a match like this (to South Africa), then when you think about it, you think that everything is over.

“But every day is a new start, and in tournaments like this, it is not easy. You cannot take any team easily because every team is fully prepared. Look at Zimbabwe, how they defeated Australia. Look at a new team like Italy, they are playing very well. Everyone knows our style of cricket, but what I see in my team, which was not there before, is that in chasing, we used to depend more on bowling.

“But now, mashallah, our boys are dominating in batting and playing comfortably. This is a plus point for us. There is no relief, but there is a lot of hurt. But what can we do? You all must have seen the match and the way our boys made an effort. But what happens is that if we made 100 percent effort, but they made 1percent more than us. So this is the difference in big teams, but we cannot say anything, and we can only hope,” he told reporters in the mixed zone.

Naib said the side had shown character after the double Super Over defeat to the Proteas, who have sealed their Super Eights spot. “The atmosphere of the team creates everything. It was a high-pressure game and not that easy. In such a tough situation, if someone is batting or bowling, we have to give kudos to them for doing this, as it then becomes a do-or-die situation.

“Players can just put in their efforts, and no one can say that we are good or bad or vice-versa. We can only try to give our best. One thing is that you can't underestimate anyone or any team.

“But the hard work we have done for this tournament, and have been doing, because we believe in our skills and we look at ourselves. We don't look at the opposition, whatever it is, because we treat every team the same,” he said.

He added that Afghanistan’s players had gained valuable experience from playing in and against the UAE side for quite some time. “Afghanistan is not at that level now because all our boys play all over the world, as this is a big advantage for us. Yes, we play a lot of cricket in the UAE and with their players in ILT20.

“But yes, against the UAE team, you can say 'yes, we knew of them because we played a lot of cricket with and against them'. It is tough in such situations, in big events, and it is not easy. But still, when you play against them regularly, it becomes an advantage.

“We do look at them because when you play a good match and come back, then your morale is high and everything is positive. But yes, the UAE is a good team, like they did today,” said Naib.

“But yes, against the UAE team, you can say 'yes, we knew of them because we played a lot of cricket with and against them'. It is tough in such situations, in big events, and it is not easy. But still, when you play against them regularly, it becomes an advantage.

“At one time it seemed tough, but still, our chasing style, which the boys have been doing, and this belief has led to us knowing that we can do it, because earlier we used to chase and defend. All the load was on the bowlers, but this is a good thing, and now the bowlers are in a relaxed mood, as batters are doing the job.”

Article Source: IANS