6 November - Mumbai - Afghanistan Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi pre-match press conference
[Reporter:]
Before this World Cup we had only one victory in two World Cup tournaments. Now you have four wins out of eight and you are still in contention for the semi-final race. Do you think the gap between your team and the top teams has reduced by this performance in this World Cup?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
As you said, we didn't have a good past in World Cup history. We only won one game. But coming to this World Cup, we believe that we can do better. And yeah, as you mentioned, the gap which we had before, I think it's now like I feel we are equal to the teams which are in the top level. And we might be still learning, but talent-wise, we are a good team. I believe that, yeah.
[Reporter:]
What are the reasons for the gap becoming less? You have been doing well. Can you outline some reasons?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
Yeah, it's a talent that we have in the team and also the hard work and the hard work that we did in the recent past. And more importantly, we have belief. We have belief that we can do, we can achieve. So that's the important thing in the team.
[Reporter:]
Even though in ODI World Cups you don't enjoy a good record against Australia, the last few games have been pretty competitive whenever the two teams have met. So, what is the mood in the camp like for tomorrow's match? And if you could just share a little bit what it was like the last few times you people have met, the last one being in Adelaide, it was pretty interesting.
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
See, as I mentioned before as well, that belief is there. As I speak to the team also, that in every game we go to the ground, we have to be positive and our mindset should be to win. It doesn't matter if opposition team is Australia, England, India, or Netherlands, whatever.
So, our mindset should be positive and we will go to ground for winning mindset. So that still remains the same. And tomorrow we will come to the ground with the positive approach and positive mindset. And we will try our best to do and play good cricket as a side you know.
[Reporter:]
What do you think has led to this change in your impact in your team's results?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
Belief, hard work, and talent. These are the three main points that we have in the team. At the beginning we had the belief, but for that we have to win. So, when we won against England, the belief rate became higher, higher then after Pakistan. And we are now not looking back. We are moving forward, looking forward, and we are trying our best to improve as a team, match by match.
[Reporter:]
And what would you say has been the influence of Jonathan Trott, your coach on the team?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
I mentioned before in the press conferences about him. He is a positive person and he is disciplined. He wants us to be more disciplined as a team, on the field, off the field. So, he's always thinking of that and sometimes he goes hard, sometimes he asserts himself according to the situation. And he behaves what the team needs.
[Reporter:]
What's the scene back home? I mean how people are responding to your consistency? And also, you guys are playing in India, and you've shown a lot of consistency, winning matches. How much of these fans, support from Indian fans, have been helpful to your performances?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
First of all, people back home playing in World Cup, like the way we are playing here right now, they are all feeling proud, and they are very happy for our achievements. And also, the Indian people give us a lot of support throughout the tournament. They are coming to every game, into the stadiums, and they're supporting us. That also motivates us, and also off the field - a lot of people, when they recognize that we are Afghanistan team players, they give a lot of respect and love to us. Even one of the guy, a taxi driver, he took me on rides. So, at the end, he didn't take money from me. And that's how people give us love here in India. So, we enjoy that and we are thankful for that.
[Reporter:]
Just on that, in the past whenever Afghanistan as a team did well, there's always a lot of talk of where you came from and your background and the hardships you faced. Are you happy that during this tournament more people are talking about the cricket that you're playing? Like it's about wickets you're taking and runs you're scoring and not so much about war and all of that?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
See, as a nation we are a brave nation and we've shown that through cricket also. In such a short time, we achieved a lot compared to other countries. And right now, we know the whole world is talking about our team's performance. As a team also, we are happy for that. But I think as a captain, it's not enough for me, looking forward for the other games.
Tomorrow is one of the important games for us. And we will not relax until we sit back and plan and go back to country, until that we will fight as a team. We are here to fight and we will try our best.
[Reporter:]
There's some comments made by some of your players about Australia's reluctance to play bilaterals with you, and they're playing this game. Is that just one player sentiment, or do you as a team feel a little hard done by the fact that Australia didn't play you in the bilateral?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
I think right now we have game tomorrow in the World Cup. If we focus on that, instead of these things, it will be better.
[Reporter:]
How your role or how your experience has been with Ajay Jadeja? Whenever we talk to him, he's quite happy to mentor you guys and then take you through all the wins that you have been able to achieve with this tournament. How's your experience with him?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
If I say that, he knows about condition here in India he played in all the stadiums in the grounds all cities so that also helps us. For me importantly about him is he is very positive person, so whenever the team is doing good, he is still there to support the team. When it's a hard situation, pressure time and team is not doing well, he will be the first one to support the team. So that's the good thing in him. And yeah, we take experience from him also.
[Reporter:]
In the last few games at the Wankhede, there has not been a great deal of help for spinners in the afternoon. As the game has progressed, the pitch has started gripping a bit. Since your attack is heavily reliant on spin, if you have to bowl first in the afternoon, how do you think you will tackle Australia's batters?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
You want me to share the plan before the game starts? You want me to tell all things from now?
[Reporter:]
Not exactly the exact plans but since your attack is heavily reliant on spin, so like do you have, like what is the general idea of tackling Australia if the pitch doesn't help spin?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
I will not say here. Sorry.
[Reporter:]
So, we've seen the whiteboard in the dressing room when you guys are chasing. What does it look like when you guys are batting first?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
Batting first we assess the condition looking to the pitch. Important thing is the openers, when they go in they are the first ones to realise about the pitch and how it behaves. Then we get the message from them, and we play according to that.
[Reporter:]
Just the whole change in the way that the team is approaching and controlling the emotions, from being kind of temperamental to being a very calm, steady team now. How has that happened? And like he asked, if Jonathan Trott has played a role in that or someone else who's given you some tips or some advice?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
See, this is the mindset - as a team mindset. I can give credit to all team players, management, coaching stuff, all of that. Because only one guy can't improve the team. So, we were good enough before as well, but we started thinking how to improve, how to compete and on this team, we are playing right now – we worked very hard from last two years. So, wherever we were struggling. At that point, we were thinking about it, how to make this problem disappear from the team. So, from past, openers were doing good for our team and our middle order was a little bit struggling for six - eight months… eight months, I can say. So, we were thinking about that. So how to improve, how to take the responsibility, how to play according to the situation. So, all these things together can make a good team.
[Reporter:]
And how did you improve?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
It's about the mindset also. If you practice 24 hours and you don't use your mind properly, it doesn't work for you. Sometimes mindset is a big thing to make you a good player.
[Reporter:]
Travis Head, Mitch Marsh and David Warner have got Australia off to very good starts in this tournament, opening the batting. You have a very good power play bowler in Mujeeb. Is he the kind of bowler and the spinners in general who can slow Australia down given that normally better against fast bowling?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
Yeah, Mujeeb is more successful bowler for us in power play, especially with the new ball he is doing very good. But we have more options also. Without him, our four bowlers can bowl in power play. So, we will see what's happening tomorrow. We will try to take a decision accordingly.
[Reporter:]
Australia have struggled in the past against spin. How much of an advantage do you think you might have with your spinners against Australia tomorrow?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
It depends on the pitch. If the pitch suits our spinners and if there is something in the pitch, so I will be very happy. Yeah, I will be very happy because all world knows that our spinning department is best in the world - we can struggle any team. I am hopeful that there will be something in the pitch for the spinners and I will feel happy if that happened.
[Reporter:]
We just learned that the legendary Sachin Tendulkar will be here to meet you guys. So how excited are you about meeting him? And is this the first time that the team will be meeting him?
[Hashmatullah Shahidi:]
Yeah, it's the first time. And we all are excited because he's the legend of the game. And for a lot of players, we were watching him on TV as a successful player. And he was a role model for a lot of our players. So, it will be excited time for the all team. See him and maybe some words and we learn from him.