There is pressure for the Pakistan encounter but we want to enjoy the game: Harmanpreet Kaur
Here is the full transcript of Harmanpreet Kaur’s pre-clash vs Pakistan press conference
(Reporter:)
Well Harman, the first big tournament for India after winning the World Cup – how are you and the team looking forward to this World Cup and how are you looking forward to India’s first match against Pakistan tomorrow?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
We are all very excited, it is a very big tournament for all of us and we are all looking forward to it. Everyone’s really looking forward to the first game because the first game is always important and it’s often said that the first game sets the tone, and I think we’re all looking forward to the first game.
(Reporter:)
Captains, many congratulations, the 10th World Cup is not for too many people. Can you reflect on that journey from a personal perspective when you started and what it means to you to represent India and captain the team after winning the World Cup?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Well, I guess I’m very grateful to have been given this opportunity. I can only be grateful and very grateful that the team has shown their trust in me and let me lead for so many years. I think it’s a very emotional and a very happy feeling for me because I’ve played cricket – cricket is something that’s very close to my heart and I never want to stop playing because it’s something that I love the most and I’m really happy that this time we’re going to play the 10th T20 World Cup and hopefully we’ll go with the same mindset and approach that we went with in the last ODI World Cup. Everyone is very positive about this tournament and hopefully we will do our best.
(Reporter:)
Whenever an India-Pakistan match happens, fans consider it a high-pressure game. Is it a normal game for you or does it carry more pressure and excitement?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
I won’t say there is no pressure – there is pressure. Ever since I started watching cricket as a fan I have felt the pressure and now that we are playing it is even more. But at the same time, we always say that the more we enjoy the game, the better it is for us because we are the lucky ones who are chosen for this big opportunity and we just want to enjoy it on the pitch. I think more than anything else it’s the next game we’re going to play tomorrow and we just want to play our best cricket.
(Reporter:)
You’ve been in England for a long time and now you’ve had a streak here — what do you think were the key lessons you learned during your time here that you can use in the tournament?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
I think the conditions because the conditions are constantly changing throughout the day. Sometimes it’s cloudy, sometimes it’s sunny, and understanding the weather and understanding your playing XI every day — it’s going to be different, it’s not going to be the same. You can’t just go with a fixed plan; you have to be very flexible with a lot of things. So I think that’s a key point that we’ve learned so far and hopefully we’ll use it in this big tournament.
(Reporter:)
I actually had the same question: from the last World Cup to this T20 World Cup in the T20 format, things haven’t gone our way in the England series – what went wrong and what are your lessons from this World Cup series, especially when things don’t always go right?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
I personally feel that when things are always going well, sometimes you don’t know what areas you need to improve as a team, but when you lose, you learn a lot. You learn a lot as a team; you know which areas you need to improve. I think the last month and a half has shown a lot of things, a lot of room for improvement. And that’s what we’ve been discussing in team meetings and trying to apply on the field – how can we improve in that area, how can we improve and bring that to the field. And I think those losses taught us a lot and I hope we will use those experiences in this tournament.
(Reporter:)
How important spinners will be in this tournament as spin has always been a strong point. This time too we have many experienced spinners.
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Yes, definitely – I think spin has always been a strength and there’s no doubt about that, and it’s our game-changers, whether it’s Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani or Shreyanka, who have done really well. So now back to the side, I think spin will always play a key role for us and they are our strength without a doubt and they are the ones who are going to lead our bowling department, hopefully they will lead from the front.
(Reporter:)
Well, Harman – the way Richa batted in the last match, she really won the match against India; that has to be a huge positive going into the World Cup. And also the way Yastika has come back strongly from injury, these two players must be really happy with how they have performed on tour so far.
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Yes, one hundred percent. We’ve been waiting for Richa to get her confidence back – and she’s a key game-changer for us and we’re all very happy that she’s back in form and confidence now. He looks really good after that game, even in the nets. I think one good innings always gives you a lot of confidence and we’ve seen her look like a completely different player in the nets when she gets those runs. So I think even Yastika, whenever she’s given an opportunity, she’s proven herself, I think everybody in the team – not just the two of them, but I think everybody in the team – looks pretty confident. Everyone is ready for tomorrow’s match.
(Reporter:)
Captain whenever it is India Vs. whether it’s men’s, women’s or any sport, it’s a different game. There is a whole political story in it. Since last September – we haven’t seen any handshakes – there’s always this political backdrop. Are you talking about it? do you even talk about it? Because players often tell us it’s a different game, we know it’s not just another game – it’s the pressure, it’s everything else. So this time another World Cup – there’s talk of a handshake for example, will that happen? Is it BCCI’s challenge? Your call – whose call is it?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Well, I think we are here for cricket and we only talk about cricket; we don’t talk about anything except cricket and I don’t even think about anything but cricket. Cricket has been our dream since day one and we only discuss cricket. For tomorrow’s game, we only think that it is another game that we will play. There will definitely be pressure, which I agree with earlier – whenever we play against Pakistan, the pressure will be there – but at the same time it’s just about how we enjoy the pressure because in any international game there will be pressure; it’s just about giving 100% and enjoying every moment.
(Reporter:)
Captain, you have just said that in English conditions the game combination will not be the same and you have a lot of depth in the fast bowling and spin department, but there is probably one area that the Indian team lacks – a pace bowling all-rounder in this tournament – because of Amanjot’s unfortunate injury. So how do you deal with this part when thinking about how to pick the right hand for games?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Yes, no doubt Amanjot was a very important player for all of us but unfortunately she is not there now. But I think the way Kranti is bowling and Arundhati is reacting so well on the field, I think they are taking responsibility and doing those key roles for us. And apart from that, I think Bharti, someone who has been batting in the lower batting order there, is also trying to fill that slot. So now it’s just about picking the right combination and going with the feel of what’s best for the team and just trying to pick the best players for you on that particular day.
(Reporter 🙁
You’ve played here before; you led India to the final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, so how much will that experience help you in this World Cup in terms of the ground conditions and the transfer to the fans – the India-Pakistan community is huge in Birmingham – so the team that has more fans here faces more pressure or gets more moral support.
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Yes, the last time we played here, we had very good memories. We had a decent number of games, we had the opportunity to play here and that experience remains. Even today when we walked into the dressing room, everyone was so excited because we felt like it was home for us; after playing so many matches, the ground and pitch will become quite familiar to us and this experience will help us a lot. Along with that we will try to make a good combination that will be the best for us tomorrow and I think the fans will always come to watch the cricket and support it and enjoy a side that plays good cricket, so hopefully tomorrow we will be a side that will make our fans and our country proud.
(Reporter:)
The last time you played a major tournament here was the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 – how much of that experience, apart from maybe the final you lost to Australia, do you want to use when you start the World Cup?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Yeah, like I mentioned the last time we played here, we played a lot of games; now we know what these pitches look like and even the game we watched yesterday and I think the experience will definitely help us whenever we go on the pitch, we’ll go with confidence and have the right ideas about how we have to perform on the pitch – so I hope the experience on the pitch will help.
(Reporter 🙁
A bit of a tactical question: we’ve seen you though in the WPL as well, recently The Hundred used the word ‘retired out’ and Katherine Brice became the first to leave. We saw you walk off Yastika twice in four innings, Shermaine Campbell in the same West Indies match, so walking off is a tactical option because it has been normalized in men’s cricket. So in women’s cricket, India may be trending; so the conversation in the dressing room is that we will use it if necessary.
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Well, I think all these decisions on the field are made based on what feels right at the time. But in the last training match, we wanted to give some playing time to Rich, so we called Yastika off the field. Otherwise, she batted beautifully that day, but you have an option where you can control the game however you want; this option exists and you can always use it. But I think we did that in the last game because we wanted to give Rich Ghosh a fair chance.
(Reporter:)
Do you have a fully fit squad to choose from without worrying about injury?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
All fit and well, confidence for tomorrow’s game.
(Reporter:)
Harman, now your thoughts are on the road. Nandini Sharma was bowling. It took her a while to settle in international cricket.
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Yeah, I think she’s bowling really well – I think her WPL experience is really helping her and that’s why we want more girls playing WPL to get used to the international pressure. I think she’s someone who maybe doesn’t play that much international cricket, but she’s important and she does her job really well.
(Reporter:)
You just talked about Richa – can you shed some light on how Richa works, especially when she’s in a lean phase, she’s in an important role where you need to hit harder; is none other than Bharti and the role she plays. How was your communication dealing with this lean phase?
(Harmanpreet Kaur 🙂
Look, no matter what order she’s batted in, she’s honestly the toughest batsman out there, and despite that, she’s handled the pressure and performed in almost every game. I think it shows how mentally strong she is, and even this time it was about one good inning. That last innings when she played against England in a practice game definitely gave her a lot of confidence and one good knock is important for every batsman to get her back in good form. I think her rough phase is over; he’s looking so good in the nets again now and hopefully he’ll carry that over into his batting, practice and games.