ICC World Cup 2019 | I do not have enough speed for this kind of surface, admits Gulabdin Naib

06/30/2019

Gulabdin Naib has said that had Hamid Hassan played, he would not have bowled in the death overs himself which ended up costing his team a closely-contested match. He further stated that it was their game to lose but Pakistan played well under pressure and acknowledged their fighting spirit.

After losing their first seven matches, Afghanistan had already been eliminated from the tournament and had nothing but pride to play for. Pakistan, on the other hand, needed a win at all costs to stay in contention for a semifinal spot which is still up for grabs.

However, in an excellent display, Afghanistan managed to restrict the Pakistan batsman while they were chasing a low target of 228 but their valiant efforts went in vain in the end as the Green Army reached the total with a couple of balls to spare.

The spinners continued their sensational form, as Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi picked up a couple of wickets each while Rashid Khan took a solitary one, giving away runs at an economy of 3.57 in their combined 30 overs. This meant that with just five overs remaining and six wickets down, Pakistan needed 43 runs to win which placed Afghanistan in the driving seat. However, Naib took the ball and was consequently hammered for 18 runs, from which point they could not recover. The skipper ended with dismal figures of 0/73 from 9.4 overs.

“We had the feeling they weren’t targeting every bowler. Every team has their plans and I thought the crucial point is for the 46th over that I bowled and 18 runs, it’s not really good,” Naib said after the match, reported Scroll.

Afghanistan’s go-to bowler in the death overs, Hamid Hassan, was a surprise inclusion in the squad after having played just one ODI in the last four years. However, not being successful so far in the tournament with just a single wicket, he was dropped in the match. Yet, the pace bowler’s raw aggression and experience in such situations might have been enough to earn his team their first victory.

“If Hamid was there maybe I didn’t bowl more than three or four overs because I do not have enough speed for this kind of surface,” Naib added.

Pakistan’s win was their third in a row and it means that a win against Bangladesh in the next match will secure them a semi-final berth in all probability.

“I think the pressure was on the Pakistan side. But credit goes to them, how they played and how they finished the game,” Naib signed off.