Encouraging his team not to be intimidated by Australian stars on the opposing squad sheet when they play Australia in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Barbados, Oman captain Aqib Ilyas advised them after their performance in the opening game tie against Namibia. Following their victories in the World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI World Cup last year, Australia is looking to become the first team to win global trophies in all three formats. Ilyas urged Oman to play the match like any other and not be scared by them.
Ilyas claimed it was a ploy to persuade Oman that they could contend with a top squad, and he believed his group could strike Australia deftly. The captain of Oman, who bowls both leg- and off-spin, praises the “Australian mindset” and their success at international championships, but he also believes that concern over an unexpectedly dry pitch block and the island’s unpredictable wet-season squalls will work in their cause.
“Once you step into the field, there is no big name, there is no one bigger than you at the field. It’s another game for us and we don’t think that we are going to play someone extraordinary,” Ilyas said in a pre-match presentation.
“I don’t have to go and tell them as a captain that you are going to face [Mitchell] Starc. Already it comes to your mind when you are playing some top bowlers or top cricketers. So it’s been very positive from the management [and] also from the coach, he said we don’t even take their names – it’s just a team that has come and still they are at the same level what we are doing. We have also qualified, they have also qualified, one team is going to be the champion so it doesn’t make much difference, though we respect them [and] what they have [done] in the past. That is why they are named as world champions,” he added
“No doubt there are big names, but [to] our boys, what I say is if they take on Starc tomorrow, imagine someone taking on Starc or any of the top bowlers, how much highlight he will get,” said the Oman captain.
“We respect them a lot as a team … but before the game, it’s important to not get overawed by them. After the game, of course there are great players on their side and we can learn a lot from them. But maybe even they might be able to learn something from us,” Ilyas added.