6 October - Hyderabad - Pakistan player Saud Shakeel post-match press conference
[Reporter:]
You bowl well, but batting is still a bit of a concern. Your opener is not clicking. And lower middle order also not playing well.
[Saud Shakeel:]
I think it's not like that. The wicket was not easy to bat on earlier in the match. So that's why we lost some early wickets. It's all about team effort. I think when the upper-order batsmen don’t get runs, it becomes our duty to score runs. That's how things happen.
[Reporter:]
[in Hindi]
Can you tell us when you got to know that you would play today’s match and how important is today’s match for your ODI career?
[Saud Shakeel:]
[in Urdu]
I knew some time back that I would play this match. I played a warm-up match and I had good batting there. I knew I would play this match. This game was very important. It is the start of my career. I did well in my Test matches. I had a lot of hope that I would perform like this in One-Day cricket, I am very happy with my performance.
[Reporter:]
[in Hindi]
This is the first win of the World Cup, so it's a big win for you because it will boost your morale to a great extent. But your problem is in the opening. We saw in the warm-up matches and in today's competition, that at one stage your three players were out. Later, yours and Rizwan's partnership, I think was the turning point, you two added120 runs. Isn't this a big concern for you that you are not able to click in the opening?
[Saud Shakeel:]
[in Urdu]
I don't think it is a big concern. The tournament has just started and we are playing in Hyderabad. Everyone knows that the ball stops early on here on this pitch. There are chances of losing wicket. I don't think it is a concern. We have batted first in all the matches, so we got a chance to bat in the daytime. If it was at night then it would have been a different scenario. I don't think there is much concern.
[Reporter:]
[In Hindi]
When you and Rizwan came together at 38 for 3, can you tell us about that partnership? Because it seems that Rizwan was a bit aggressive and you were nervous. So, what were you talking about? Did you set any goals for that partnership?
[Saud Shakeel:]
[in Urdu]
Of course, there were nerves. But I was lucky that I found a few odd boundaries. Sometimes it happens that you find such boundaries, it makes it easier for you. I was clear in my mind that I wanted to attack and play positive cricket. Rizwan Bhai's role was to go long but my plan was simple. I had focused on a few bowlers of the Netherlands. If I had to hit from above, I would take a chance. I did that. I took a chance. I was trying to stay positive and kept attacking the bowlers I had targeted.
[Reporter:]
You have seen a lot of success in Test cricket in your short career. Coming into the limited overs format, did you feel you have to prove a point? And when you came in, till August you were probably not in the mix, but you came in before the Afghanistan series and Asia Cup and then you are here. So just talk us through this One-Day journey. You have learnt a lot, but you didn’t get much time. Tell us how you had to adjust to this role?
[Saud Shakeel:]
[in Urdu]
See when you play Test cricket, I think it is the most difficult format, you know that. So, when you perform well there, you gain a lot of confidence. I think I performed very well in the Test matches, so my confidence level was very high.
But at the same time, I was focusing a lot on my white-ball cricket. I was focusing a lot on my game. I could see that my numbers for playing for Pakistan were 5-6 (batting order). Babar Azam plays at 3 and Rizwan plays at 4. I tried to develop my game and worked hard for it. A person has a vision and works hard for it. I tried the same. I could see that I am not playing much One-Day cricket, not much white-ball domestic cricket in Pakistan in which I can prove my point. But at the same time, when I played Test match cricket for Sri Lanka, I showed that I am ready for white-ball cricket.
[Reporter:]
If we talk about the two rounds, what was the pitch like in the first round when you were batting and bowling, the spinners were getting a lot of purchase from the track.
[Saud Shakeel:]
[in Urdu]
We have come to India for the first time. We don't have much of an idea of playing in India. But we have seen a little bit of IPL. We have seen a lot of matches in Hyderabad. So, I think that the spinners get a little help early on here. And that happened in the warm-up match as well. If you see, the early on 20-20 overs are very crucial. If you lose a wicket, like we lost in both the matches, you go on back foot. But both the times, I went there and attacked and I was successful. I think it's only Hyderabad or Chennai where it's a little difficult to score. I think other places have better wickets. You should try not to let the wickets go early-on. You can cover it later. So, we were trying to do it, but we lost the wickets in it. But you covered it later.
[Reporter:]
During your partnership with Rizwan, there was a point where Netherlands had just three fielders inside the circle. So, did you spot that or did Rizwan spot it and how did that go?
[Saud Shakeel:]
Yeah, it was like when the bowler just started to run and suddenly, I thought that there is a like four fielders inside the circle. But I wasn't sure honestly speaking. I wasn't sure that there are four or less so I just came down the track and chipped like 50-50 chance to just chip there. And as soon as I realized that I saw that there are four fielders inside, I went to the umpire and said that it should be a no-ball. They had four fielders inside the circle. So, I was fortunate enough that I got a free hit and I capitalized on it by hitting a six.
[Reporter:]
[in Hindi]
You were saying that you had prepared for the batting at number 5 and 6. Can you give us some details on that? What changes did you bring in your preparations and practice made for that specific role?
[Saud Shakeel:]
[in Urdu]
I think it was more of a mindset change. Few years back I never used to hit big like this, I didn't take many chances. I preferred to play on the ground. But I made my mindset that I have to accept one thing, that where are your numbers to play against Pakistan. It is very important to realize this as a player. So, I made my game plan accordingly. I haven't changed much. I tried to adapt and I think the best thing is that we came to India to play the World Cup. It's really good here. If you settle here, you get the value of your shots. So, I think that's in my mind. And I try to stay in good shape and keep my technique so that I don't make shots that are too hard and I'm succeeding in that.