Here is the full transcript of Pakistan fast bowler Salman Mirza’s press conference ahead of the February 10 match against USA.
(Reporter:)
You watch cricket, you must have seen the match in 2024 when America inflicted a shocking defeat on Pakistan. Did you talk about it in the group and forget about it?
(Salman Mirza:)
This happens a lot in cricket. It is the past and we can only learn from it. We are focused on the next match. The group is preparing well and we are focused on that.
(Reporter:)
The first match of this tournament was tough. Pakistan won with great difficulty. Now the second game is important. How did you prepare for the second match so that Pakistan’s victory was easy and the tension between the people was also normal?
(Salman Mirza:)
It’s the World Cup and every match is important, whether it’s the first, second or final. If you watch the World Cup, you will see that all the matches are close. That’s the beauty of cricket that close games are a must. And the main goal is to win the game. And Pakistan won and we will try to win more matches too.
(Reporter:)
Salman, this will be your first ever night game at this ground where you are playing tomorrow. So a lot depends on the conditions. In the last game we saw that the players did not accept the terms. Maybe they haven’t warmed up on the island yet. So as a bowler, I saw that you adjusted the line length very quickly. What are your plans in this regard and what are the conditions for today’s match?
(Salman Mirza:)
Like you said, it’s the first match of the night. We can’t decide on the terms yet. But once we get on the field, we’ll get a good idea of the conditions. You will get a clear picture when you are in the field. So we will plan accordingly. As the match goes deep, we will plan accordingly.
(Reporter:)
Salman, suddenly you became a very important part of the Pakistan team, you were opening with Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah sitting at the back. He doesn’t get a seat because of you, or maybe because of the conditions. Is there any extra pressure on you because you are playing with Shaheen Afridi, our premier fast bowler?
Secondly, we have an important match against the USA tomorrow. There is also a match on February 15. But did you discuss with your group about the match against India?
(Salman Mirza:)
Let me make one thing clear first. No one is playing for anyone, depending on the situation and the conditions of the game, the playing 11 will be selected, be it me, Shaheen or Naseem. Obviously, I’ve played with Shaheen a lot before, so I have a good bond with him. I have a good chat with him and he helps me a lot, I also help him a lot. We focus on the upcoming match and we focus on the one-on-one match, depending on what comes. And about the match on the 15th, that is the government’s decision, whatever they decide, we will play accordingly.
(Reporter:)
Pakistan won the first match of the season but the entire nation and cricket fans were disappointed with this result. After Australia’s 3-0 series defeat – was it a shock or was it a normal game? Or was it an eye opener for you in the group?
(Salman Mirza:)
Obviously, when you’re playing a match, a lot of things are eye-openers. We will try not to make the same mistakes as in the first match. We will learn from it and play good cricket. Even though we won 3-0, it gives you confidence. But it’s a World Cup match and it keeps changing. Sometimes your game plans change because of the pitch, sometimes the opponent plays well. And in this tournament, as you can see, the matches are going well. And when all the players are playing – it’s the player’s job to stand out. Be it Faheem or Babar or Shaheen – whoever it is. The job of the players is to excel and Faheem did very well.
(Reporter:)
My question is, there will definitely be a cricket match tomorrow. But these complex games are very important psychologically. Pakistan lost the last match. So psychologically, how is Pakistan prepared for the match against USA?
(Salman Mirza:)
Pakistan is ready for any challenge. We can learn from the past. We can’t hold on to the past. We can learn from the past but we have to improve our next matches.
(Reporter:)
Salman, my question is that we won against the Netherlands with great difficulty. Now our match is against America. Is there some pressure from a weak team that we have to fight so hard for?
(Salman Mirza:)
All matches are important. I don’t think any team is weak or strong in T20 cricket. The team that plays good cricket on that day will be good. Pakistan always try to play good cricket and we will try to do that in all matches.
(Reporter:)
Yesterday was our first match of the day at SAC. We’ve never played a match before. How important is it for fast bowlers?
(Salman Mirza:)
Sir, when the match is played at night under lights, the fast bowlers get a little help. But what the condition will be like tomorrow, whether the dew is a factor or not, that will be seen in the match. And of course there is a little hint in the night game. And tomorrow we hope to get support for that.
(Reporter:)
Salman the associate team played a very good match in all the matches. Yesterday we saw Nepal team play well against England. Do you think all teams are the same in T20? No one can say that this is an affiliate team, this is a team of a test playing nation. Everyone is equal in T20.
(Salman Mirza:)
Yes sir, T20 is such a format where there is not much difference between small and big teams. Because if a team does a good spell or an innings it makes a big difference in the match. You saw it in front of you, how the matches are played. And this statement justifies that there is no such thing as a small or large team. Whoever plays cricket well will win.
(Reporter:)
Salman, this is your first World Cup. When Salman was nominated, when your name appeared in the spot, how did you feel? Because surely everyone was talking about the Netherlands game and we didn’t know that Salman Mirza was going to play the first game when you got to know that you were playing the first game of the World Cup and you
opener, what were your feelings? On a lighter note?
(Salman Mirza:)
Sir, as a player, when you represent Pakistan, your aim is to play the World Cup and do your best for your team. In the first World Cup, of course, we try to do the best for your team and all your preparation that you have done all these years is for this day –
(Reporter:)
I am also Sri Lankan but I don’t speak Hindi like my friend here.
It’s the first day-night match and of course there are a lot of unknowns, but in Sri Lanka things move a bit at night. Is this something you talked about with the seamstresses on your team? That there is something extra under the lights for fast bowlers?
(Salman Mirza:)
Sir this is the first game specifically here in sri lanka. But we have played a lot of cricket under lights and I think the condition will be the same and we will assess the conditions tomorrow and play accordingly.
(Reporter:)
As you said, the match on the 15th is the government’s decision. But from the teams point of view, are you preparing for this game or is your preparation process just for the three games in the group league?
(Salman Mirza:)
We are preparing for the whole World Cup. We will play according to what team we have to play. It will be the government’s decision. We’ll do whatever we’re told.
(Reporter:)
We saw that the US bowling attack was very impressive against India in the opening phase. So how do you rate this bowling attack as a fast bowler?
(Salman Mirza:)
Sir they played brilliantly in the last match but I think we have a strong batting line-up to deal with this bowling line-up and hopefully we will play that good cricket and manage