ICC T20 World Cup: Gulf News experts and Mr. Cricket UAE on big wins for Pakistan and South Africa

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Four wins out of four ensure a semi-final berth for Babar Azam's men in Abu Dhabi  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV  #UAEnews #WorldCup #cricket

Transcript

00:00Hello everyone, this is the Straight Bad with Gulf News and Mr Cricket UAE, that is Anish

00:14Sajjan.

00:15We have a doubleheader today, both the matches in Abu Dhabi and the first match South Africa

00:19beat Bangladesh by four wickets and in the second match there was a comprehensive win

00:23for Pakistan, 45-run win against Namibia, which means they are in the semifinals already.

00:29So let's discuss, let us ask Anish Sajjan to take us through the matches today.

00:36Thank you Shyam.

00:37Hello Ashfaq bhai.

00:38Hi Sahil.

00:39Well, yes, South Africa had a comprehensive win today, bowling out Bangladesh for 84 and

00:45they are one step closer.

00:47They need to see how they perform in the last match, whereas congratulations to Team Pakistan

00:51being the first team to qualify for this World Cup semifinal.

00:55Once again, they were clinical in their performance, where they put up a decent 189 and made sure

01:02that Namibia were never in the game and won it comprehensively by 45 runs.

01:07Sahil, your thoughts on today's matches?

01:12I mean, both games looked one-sided today, obviously, congratulations to Pakistan, obviously

01:18they're well-deserved.

01:19They have reached the semifinals and also South Africa, again, looking like a dangerous

01:24team, like we had mentioned, how they have one of the most dangerous bowling lineups

01:27in this tournament.

01:29And clearly they have proved that.

01:31But both matches were one-sided, so not much entertainment today.

01:34Ashfaq, I will come to you with the Pakistan match, I'll spare you of the South Africa-Bangladesh

01:39so keep your forehead dry for the Pakistan match.

01:42Yes, sure.

01:43Okay.

01:44And South Africa is interesting in the sense that they are in with the possibility to take

01:49a second slot, either between Australia or South Africa, England definitely will be the

01:56top of the group.

01:57So how do you see the South Africa's prospects there?

01:59Anil?

02:00Yeah, you're asking me this, right?

02:04Yes.

02:05Yeah.

02:06Well, to be very honest, like Sahil mentioned, the bowling attack of South Africa looks very

02:11potent with both now Rabada coming in form, Nokia was already doing well, and I'm a big

02:16fan of the left-arm Chinaman Tabrez Shamsi, plus they have Keshav Maharaj.

02:21So South Africa's bowling looks very good.

02:24Their last match is obviously against England, we need to see how they play against that

02:28team, because England is the team to beat in the other group.

02:32And if they are able to manage to restrict England and chase down the target, or probably

02:37defend the target, they should be going ahead of Australia, because even if Australia win

02:42both their matches, Australia also has to win the last match.

02:47So if Australia also wins, the net runner of South Africa is very good.

02:50So I probably somehow feel it's going to be quite tight between two groups.

02:55If South Africa loses, it will be Australia going through, but if South Africa wins, then

02:58I believe it will be South Africa going through.

03:01Sahil, I'm going to ask you a tough question.

03:06South Africa or Australia, which will go through?

03:11Tough one.

03:13Your gut feeling?

03:14I have to bag the Aussies.

03:16I don't know why, I have to bag them, you know.

03:19I am with you, I am with you.

03:22I like their mentality, the Aussies, you know, they never give up.

03:25I mean, South Africans have been outstanding this tournament with their bowling, especially

03:29like I mentioned.

03:30But the Aussies just have it in them, I mean, and plus South Africa are playing one of the

03:34strongest teams, England.

03:37So it's going to be a nail-biting question.

03:38I am with you on this.

03:40I know it's not an easy answer here, but I am with you on this simply because right even

03:45before the tournament started, we had a preview and I had picked Australia to make the semis.

03:51So I mean, you have my backing on this.

03:54Of course, this is going to be interesting because the last few matches are going to

03:58be really, really going down the wire, which is what we want.

04:01Now, sorry to keep you waiting, Afar, give us your rundown of today's Pakistan win.

04:07We know it's a comprehensive win, but what is your takeaways from today's match?

04:11Hey, Shyam, thank you so much.

04:14Thank you, Anisbhai.

04:15Thank you, Sahib.

04:16Shyam, in today's match, one thing is clear that Pakistan is not an unpredictable team

04:23anymore.

04:24They are coming to this, they have come to this T20 with a plan.

04:29Earlier, they were never unpredictable, they performed one match, another match, they are

04:34just out.

04:35This is a fourth consecutive win and very clinical when they have their game plan, they

04:40have their bowling, they have their batting.

04:43This match, Babar Azam took the risk, he batted first because he wanted to try whether his

04:48batsman can score in the first innings and the ball was moving a lot.

04:53The women bowlers gave them a very tough time, they could score only 29 runs in the first

04:59power play.

05:01It was a tough call and they had very close calls as well, like before, LBW calls and

05:08it was unplayable in the first five fours.

05:11So Babar tested that and the batters succeeded his test and 10 overs is 59 runs and 60 balls

05:19and next 10 overs, he scored 130 runs.

05:24And the good thing was that Hafeez gets his form back, the kind of shots he played was

05:31like, he improvised and the bowler didn't know where to bowl, he was hitting the ball

05:38every way and he just got very hot for the Zambian bowlers in the slow overs and hitting

05:4723 runs in the last over, this was like everything was perfectly placed and 189 runs was too

05:55much for him.

05:58And I'm sure you must be loving the form of Rizwan because as an opener, he stayed

06:04in the 20th over.

06:05In fact, the last 20th over, he hit four fours and a six and a two and for an opener to stay

06:13till the 20th game and score heavily off it, that must be really, really good for Pakistan.

06:18I think this, Shyam, this is a very stubborn opener partnership for Pakistan.

06:26It has never, we have never seen this before until if you go back to Syed Anwar Ahmed Suheil's

06:33days, they were after that, I think this, now we have got this solid opening partnership

06:39and keeping the wicket safe on one end and hitting from the other hand was the strategy.

06:45I think that Rizwan kept his wicket till end and he got the chance, they were wicket in

06:51hand and he just went out and hit everywhere, all around the ground and he scored 79 in

06:5849 balls and this was excellent.

07:05And this guy Ashfaq was saying that Pakistan has ceased to be unpredictable in the sense

07:11that if you look at the Pakistan's win, all of them have been very comprehensive and very

07:15clinically done.

07:16So what changed from the previous, what is the difference you see from the previous Pakistan

07:21sides and this one?

07:23What I like in this tournament about Pakistan, especially in the batting, the start what

07:28both the openers have given in all the matches, even in the New Zealand match where probably

07:33Babar got out after scoring 15-16, but all the matches, they look very stable.

07:37And that is where, you know, Pakistan, as Mr. Ashfaq mentioned, it reminded about Amir

07:41Suheil and Syed Anwar when they used to give the start.

07:45After that, I don't remember any of the opening batsmen used to stick around.

07:48And now these two players have been playing with each other for a long time.

07:52They understand each other.

07:53They run hard between the wickets.

07:54That is one important key factor.

07:57And when you have a good start in almost every game, so the other batsmen to follow are not

08:02under so much pressure.

08:03And secondly, when you talk about the other part, they've improved a lot on the fielding.

08:07Okay, today they dropped a couple of catches.

08:08Mind you, there was a bit of dew, but otherwise Pakistan fielding has been top notch in this

08:14tournament.

08:15The bowling has been always very good.

08:17So this time, like Ashfaq bhai said, they don't, they are not looking like an unpredictable

08:20team.

08:21They're playing the cricket according to the format and setting the template right.

08:25Okay, Sahil, your thoughts on today's Pakistan win?

08:31I mean, again, impressive performance, you know, as mentioned by Mr. Ashfaq, you know,

08:36Rizwan stayed till the end, scored a good 79.

08:39It's not easy for an opener because, you know, they get tired eventually and hitting 20 plus

08:44runs in the last over, it's not easy for an opener.

08:47So credit to Pakistan again, I mean, for the first time, they fielded poorly in a game,

08:51which is shocking because this whole tournament, they have been outstanding in the field.

08:56But it happens, you know, but Pakistan have been impressive.

08:59And again, they deserve to go to the semifinals.

09:03And yes, as mentioned earlier in the call, that they have not played like an unpredictable

09:06team.

09:07They have deserved to win every game, hands down.

09:11So Ashfaq, back to you again, Pakistan are in the semis.

09:14So where do you Pakistan go from here?

09:18What do you see?

09:19One thing we have seen, Babbar got the chance to try some new player, but he didn't.

09:27He kept the team as it is because he doesn't want to experiment new player.

09:31He doesn't want to break the rapport.

09:34He will continue with the same team.

09:37And if they go by the game plan and if they are lucky enough to win the toss, I think

09:42that then it's their match, they will win the match as well, if they bat second.

09:49OK, before we wind up, Anish, any last thoughts you want to do, your impressions, anything

09:54more to add to the show today?

09:57Well, like Ashfaq mentioned that if they bat second, Pakistan are unbeatable.

10:03And at the same time, like we were discussing off-air, it's a little bit of an advantage

10:07for a team batting second because we see the due sets heavy.

10:11And today, in spite of Pakistan scoring a 190, you know, like Ashfaq mentioned in the

10:16initial ten overs, it was so difficult to bat.

10:18The ball was moving around and due credit to Pakistan that they managed to survive that

10:23tough period.

10:24And that is why they were able to post this 190.

10:26And similarly, which we saw yesterday, Butler made sure that he anchored the innings and

10:31stayed till the end and which gave them a respectable total.

10:33So teams which bat first and if the opening guy survives till the end, they can put up

10:38a respectable total to have a fight.

10:41Teams batting first, if they go off to a disastrous start, they will struggle.

10:45Looks like that's the template for this tournament, an opener staying till the end or anchoring

10:52the innings.

10:53We have seen that actually in the IPL also, like if you look at Chennai Super Kings' win,

10:58it was basically strung by Hrithiraj Gaikwad.

11:02He used to give them good starts, he used to spar through the middle overs and that's

11:07what actually pushed the Chennai Super Kings to the win.

11:10I think that template still holds good and as I was saying here, the opener staying till

11:16the end or at least till the slug overs are actually deciding the games for teams batting

11:23first.

11:24Because teams batting second are obviously at an advantage.

11:28If you look at even Nabiwi's performance today, to me, they exceeded their expectations because

11:34in the previous two matches, or at least in the previous match, they folded up very fast

11:40actually because they were batting first.

11:41So here, they got a chance at least to take it a distance and have some kind of respectability.

11:47And that's all for today's matches.

11:49But tomorrow, we have another doubleheader coming up but in two different venues here.

11:52New Zealand plays Scotland in Dubai and India take on Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.

11:59That is a must-win match to preserve India's mathematical possibility, although it's not

12:04very much a feasible possibility, but even then, to preserve that mathematical possibility

12:13is not an easy task because Afghanistan are a tough side.

12:17And your thoughts on that?

12:19You're right, Afghanistan is a tough side, like we're talking about India trying to sneak

12:24through the back door, provided there is an upset by Afghanistan in the match against

12:28New Zealand.

12:29But first, India needs to beat Afghanistan.

12:31That's the first job they have in hand.

12:33And also, as you mentioned, their net run rate is so bad that they need to beat hands-down

12:38Afghanistan.

12:39So we need to see what sort of style India play.

12:42But I believe India now has nothing to lose, everything to gain.

12:46So they probably can get out of the shackles and play that fearless cricket.

12:51And that is the only way up.

12:52If things go in their way, if there's an upset, they go through.

12:55Otherwise, anyways, they are out.

12:58And Sahil, your thoughts on tomorrow's match?

13:02I mean, as mentioned, there's nothing to lose now.

13:07There should not be high hopes.

13:08There is a mathematical chance, but high hopes should not be there.

13:12The Indians should just go out to the game and just enjoy and win it hands-down.

13:18That's all I can say.

13:19Let's hope tomorrow we will have some interesting matches because New Zealand-Scotland is clearly

13:26New Zealand has put up a hand there.

13:29Let's see what Scotland can do.

13:31And I'm sure all eyes are on the Afghanistan match.

13:34And that's all from us today here from the Gulf News.

13:38So for the latest news and updates and developments,

13:42please log on to Gulf News and our social media channels.

13:45Thank you very much.

13:46Good night.

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