Bridgetown, June 5
Oman captain Aqib Ilyas, boosted by the performance in the opening-game tie against Namibia, has urged his team not to be overawed by Australian names on the opposition squad sheet when they face Aussies in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in Barbados.
In a pre-match press conference, Ilyas insisted that Oman treat the match as any other and not be intimidated by Australia, who are aiming to become the first team to win global trophies in all three formats following their World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI World Cup victories last year.
Ilyas said it is a tactic to convince Oman that they could compete with a great team and feels his team can attack Australia with spin. While praising the "Australian mindset" and their track record of success at major events, Oman captain, who bowls both leg- and off-spin, believes a combination of the island's unpredictable wet-season squalls and uncertainty over a surprisingly dry pitch block will work in their favour.
"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.
Oman has already played one game at Kensington Oval, a low-scoring match against Namibia that they lost on a Super Over. That was a tricky surface with uneven bounce and spin - although it appeared easier for batting during the day as Scotland put on a strong opening stand against England before the rain came - and while a new pitch is expected for the Australia game, Ilyas believes the conditions may bring the sides closer together.
"You see the last match, how the ball was turning and staying low. [Australia] had a few good technique players [against spin] in the past like [Steven] Smith and [Marnus] Labuschagne but I don't think they have many now. They look to hit big. Everyone tries to go for sixes but every day it is not the same day and if the same wicket is there, maybe it can be a problem for them," Ilyas said.
"As you could see PNG bowling against West Indies, [it was] difficult to chase 130 runs even having [some] of the biggest hitters in the side. So, on a slower track, on a slow wicket, with good quality spinners, [the] only thing is we have to play with the big heart and we have to put it on the right areas. It's just about the areas because the ball doesn't know how big the batsman in front of it [is]. If it turns a bit, it stays low or anything happens, the batsman is gone," the Oman captain added.
Ilyas, who hinted at at least one alteration to their batting lineup, which scored only 109 against Namibia, has urged his team to use the match as an opportunity for his players to have their names shown in lights.
"The boys are really pumped up. When you come up against the top sides, that is when you get highlighted all over the world. The boys have a lot of opportunity. The thing is we don't have much to lose. Every time there is a World Cup, there is an upset ... the weather, how it is behaving, anything can happen," he said.
"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 in their side and we can learn a lot from them. But maybe even they might be able to learn something from us," Ilyas added.