Nepal captain Rohit Paudel previews their ICC T20 Cricket World Cup clash with South Africa
Arnos Vale Stadium, St Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies
Arnos Vale Stadium, St Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies
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00:00Thank you everyone for joining us. We've got the Nepal captain Rohit with us. First of all, welcome to St. Vincent, Rohit.
00:06I'll start with a couple of quick questions. Tell us about the tournament so far for you. How has it been for Nepal?
00:13Big two games here now in St. Vincent. How much have you enjoyed playing in this T20 World Cup?
00:19I think we've enjoyed so far.
00:23Most of us are playing our first World Cup. So yeah, we've enjoyed the two games.
00:28Probably one game in
00:29Dallas and one game was washed out. So I think overall as a team
00:34we are enjoying it and it's a good experience for all of us.
00:37You have some of the most passionate fans going around in the cricketing world.
00:41We saw great support in the stadium as well as across Nepal for your opening game.
00:47Expecting something similar in St. Vincent? Yeah, absolutely. I think they have been supporting us for
00:52last two to three years and we are enjoying it and I think
01:00regardless of the result, they have been supporting us and I believe that they will come here also and support us.
01:05Tell us a bit more about the remaining two games. You've just come to the venue.
01:09So of course, I won't really ask too much about the venue and your expectations about the wicket.
01:14What do you think of the two opponents that you have? South Africa and then Bangladesh. South Africa having already qualified a formidable opponent and Bangladesh
01:21winning against Netherlands today. I think in this tournament, South Africa is playing good cricket and especially Bangladesh is also a good side and
01:29I think as a unit we are pretty much clear that we have to win both the games to qualify for the Super 8 and
01:35we are talking about these conditions. I think after a long time in this venue, they are playing international cricket.
01:41So yeah, we are looking forward to the
01:44challenges or whatever this wicket offers and
01:47as we say that walking in the unknowns because we don't know how the wicket will react.
01:52So we'll assess the condition well tomorrow.
01:56Rohit, you just said walking in the unknowns, but the journey of most of the teams in the US
02:02has been more into the unknowns than
02:05traditional venues like these in the West Indies. So what are your expectations?
02:09What do you think will be different in the American leg and the West Indian leg?
02:14Yeah, I think in American leg, I think most of the wickets were really challenging, especially talking about the drop-in wickets.
02:22Those wickets were really challenging and I think apart from the wicket, I think conditions were also
02:29very challenging, especially
02:32Dallas condition. If you see that in USA,
02:35only 120-130 runs are made in an inning. So I think the
02:41surfaces are challenging, but still as a professional cricketer, you have to adapt to those situations and play accordingly.
02:46And I believe that in West Indies,
02:51if you see those matches here also, scoring runs are really challenging.
02:55But still as a unit, you must know that how much score is good for the team.
03:00And yeah, we'll go tomorrow and assess the wicket and play accordingly.
03:03I hope as you came to this room, you walked across the pitch there.
03:08As a captain, you must have had the color of the clay, the grass. You must have gone through that.
03:13Just about the first impression you have about the pitch and
03:17your spin department, which has been bolstered by the arrival of Sandeep. So what's your take on that?
03:23Yeah, I've seen the wicket when last time I came here in San Vincente and
03:29today I watched the match against
03:31Netherlands and Bangladesh also. So looking at the wicket, I think
03:35somewhere around 160 would be a good score as a batting unit, if we'll talk then. And after that,
03:41as a spin department, I think now Sandeep Dai is also in.
03:44So I think if we make around 160-170 and I believe that it would be a challenging score for South Africa,
03:50especially looking at these conditions.
03:54And yeah, I feel that it'd be on slower side, wicket will be on slower side. So yeah, we'll plan accordingly.
04:01Hi Rohit.
04:02I wanted to ask you, I think in the one and only game that you guys played against the Netherlands, apart from you,
04:07I think it wasn't a great batting performance, but I think the bowlers did really well.
04:11So is it the case that the bowlers are sort of hitting their marks, but the batters need to up their game?
04:16If you see in this tournament, especially in USA, most of the batsmen are struggling,
04:22especially because of those conditions and the surface. And I believe that our bowling unit is doing a good job and
04:29just we need to step up as a batting unit.
04:31And I believe that in this West Indies League,
04:35we'll do some good things as a batting unit and give a good score on the board so that our bowlers will defend it or
04:42whatever our bowler
04:44gives and we'll try to achieve it.
04:48Hi, good night.
04:51You played here a few weeks ago against the Windward Islands.
04:56What lessons have you learned?
04:59Playing against the Windward Islands at Park Hill, then going up to the States, different
05:05wicket and then coming back here to play on a different wicket.
05:10Especially I think the conditions.
05:13It was really challenging playing against those club teams,
05:17assessing those conditions and after that again, we went to a different condition and wicket.
05:23So I think as a unit, now we are professional cricketers,
05:28so we need to adapt those situations really quickly in the match only.
05:32So I think as a unit we have learned that to assess those wicket and conditions and
05:38we'll try to implement the same here in San Vincente.
05:47Rohit,
05:48because of the weather in Florida, our team has just arrived.
05:53You haven't been able to prepare. How does playing against a big team like South Korea affect you?
06:00I think qualifying for the World Cup is a big achievement and I think we have been preparing since the last 2-3 months.
06:07Everyone is the same. The weather was challenging for everyone.
06:10All the teams haven't been able to prepare properly.
06:14So I think everyone is the same.
06:16Even if we don't practice for 2-3 days, we won't forget anything.
06:20Because we have been playing since we were kids.
06:23So I think that doesn't matter.
06:25Because it's not in our control. The weather is not in our control.
06:28And in the last minute, there was a part of travel.
06:30But still, putting all that aside, as a professional, we have to step up.
06:34No matter how much we go to the ground, we have to step up and play for our country.
06:37How do we win? That's the mindset.
06:40I think as a team, we are very well prepared.
06:42However, we are missing the execution part.
06:46So we will try to implement it tomorrow in South Korea's game.
06:50Everyone is excited to play against South Korea.
06:53Rohit, it's been a week since we had a full training session.
06:57Even before the game in Sri Lanka, we had very little time.
07:01We didn't have a full training session.
07:03Another thing is that Sandeep Lame has joined the team.
07:05But it's been 7 months since he hasn't played a match.
07:08He has a fitness status.
07:10How has the team looked at his preparation for the game?
07:15I think when we were in Dallas, we were preparing.
07:19In the Florida game and before that, the water was a little disturbed.
07:24But still, we practiced for 2-3 sessions.
07:27I think as a team, we are well prepared.
07:30The game didn't happen and the weather didn't allow us to control it.
07:34But still, I think we are well prepared.
07:36Speaking of Sandeep Lame, he has played a lot of cricket.
07:41He has a lot of experience.
07:44Even if he doesn't play cricket for 4-5 months, we believe that he will come and deliver.
07:50With that hope, he has been practicing for the last 15-20 days.
07:56So I think he is good in touch.
07:59We just met and talked to him.
08:01So I think he is very well prepared.
08:02South Africa has played 3 matches in New York.
08:05The batting was in a tough condition.
08:07There was a lot of pressure not to run.
08:09It is very difficult for us bowlers to face the South African batting unit.
08:13In this condition, all the batters are not running.
08:17Is there a lot of pressure?
08:19For the South African batsmen?
08:22No, for the batters.
08:24Obviously, as a batsman, if you don't run from the last 3 matches, there is a lot of pressure.
08:29It is in the back of the mind that you don't run as a batsman.
08:33So I think it is an advantage for us that we didn't run in the last 3 matches.
08:36David Muller is a top-run scorer.
08:38I don't think anyone has made a run other than him.
08:41So I think there is a lot of pressure.
08:43We have to create more pressure on the batsmen.
08:46We have to try to all-out in the least number of runs and chase the score.
08:50That is the mentality.
08:52Rohit, you lost to the Test Nations in Sri Lanka.
08:55You said that you had a chance to make history.
08:56But you didn't make it.
08:58Now you have a chance to play against South Africa.
09:01What kind of an opportunity is that for Nepali cricket?
09:03There is a chance for Super 8 as well.
09:05How do you see it?
09:07Obviously, it is a big opportunity.
09:09It is the first time we are playing against South Africa.
09:11I think their skill is very good.
09:13South Africa is playing very well in this tournament.
09:16But still, after this tournament, we have 2 games left.
09:20And I think if we win 2 games, the qualification for Super 8 is open.
09:24That is the mentality of the team.
09:26And looking at the conditions,
09:28if we play our best cricket,
09:31their skill level will be a little better.
09:34But still, even if we give our 100%, we can beat them.
09:37Everyone has to contribute.
09:40Because to beat the Test playing country, one or two people are not enough.
09:44I think if we step up as a collective unit, we can beat them.
09:48Thank you very much, captain.
09:50All the very best for the game tomorrow.