00:00 Okay, thank you everyone for joining us here for this pre-semi-final press conference with Pakistan captain Saad Dague
00:05 ahead of tomorrow's clash between Australia and Pakistan in Bengali.
00:09 We have a press conference and we'll be taking questions from the floor here, starting with Saad.
00:14 Hi Saad, plenty of rest day after tomorrow's match. How have you guys been easing the nerves leading up to the game?
00:24 Yeah, it's a big game, you know, we have qualified after four years. We are all excited to play against Australia.
00:33 It's a good team, tough team, but we have good preparation. We have good unity in the team.
00:40 So we are excited to play against Australia. We will try our best, we will give our best as a team, as a unit.
00:48 You obviously had a tight game against Bangladesh last time out. What lessons did you take from that game?
00:56 Yes, we have taken some positive points from that match, that we can defend any score.
01:03 We can do whatever we did last time, you know. They are a tough target to defend, but the boys bowled very well.
01:16 The way Obaid and Ali Raza, all bowlers, are performing is a positive point as a captain.
01:23 How does it change your approach for tomorrow's match?
01:28 Yes, you know, this is a big game. As a player, as a team, as a captain, I am very excited to go through to the semi-final.
01:40 We are very excited, we have a lot of preparation, we have two days of practice here.
01:46 So we are good in our momentum, so we will try our best to do good, inshallah.
01:52 I want to ask you, there's been a little gap in games between your last game against Bangladesh.
01:58 Does the team feel well rested going into this game tomorrow?
02:01 Yes, we have a two-day rest. Afterwards, we have two-day practice.
02:05 So the boys are well, I think they are rested as well.
02:12 So inshallah, we will do our best. It is simple, what we have in our hands, we will do.
02:20 Otherwise, the boys are so excited to play.
02:26 You played your last game here in Badoni as well.
02:31 Different to tomorrow's opponents, do you think that gives you an advantage?
02:36 Yes, we have played our last game. Yes, definitely it gives us an advantage of our condition of pitch.
02:43 But I don't think so the first betting and second betting is better.
02:50 It's almost the same. We have to play some good cricket and we have to believe in ourselves.
02:56 I think we have good unity, we have believed in ourselves as a captain.
03:02 I believe all my players that they can perform anywhere, any condition.
03:08 Can you give us an idea what is your style of captaincy?
03:11 What do you like? It seems like a very close group, but what do you like as a captain?
03:15 My style of captaincy is a little bit aggressive.
03:21 I like to be aggressive when I'm on the field.
03:25 I'm very friendly. You can ask any one of my teammates.
03:31 I'm very friendly, but as a captain you have to be aggressive in the field.
03:38 Yesterday's first semi-final was a very intense, dramatic match.
03:44 Did you watch any of it? Was there anything that you learned from that game yesterday about the pitch and conditions?
03:52 Yes, it was a good match. I watched the highlights and also the Indian betting.
03:58 They both played very well.
04:01 But the condition was almost the same in our match and in that match.
04:06 The condition was almost the same, but the way both batsmen played was absolutely brilliant.
04:13 One very final question from me. Just looking at Australia as opponents,
04:19 what do you think is their main strength and how will you try to attack that?
04:23 I think they have a strength of fast bowlers.
04:29 We have watched them.
04:34 Basically, we have to play our normal game, our natural game.
04:37 What we have done in our practice, we have to deliver that.
04:41 Inshallah, we will do our best and hopefully the result will come in a positive way.
04:47 Any other questions?
04:50 Just one final one from me.
04:53 A few of the teams here have given messages to people back home that are following the tournament,
04:57 heading into the semi-finals and so on.
05:00 I just want to see whether you have a message for anyone back home in Pakistan
05:03 who may be following the team closely.
05:06 Please feel free to give that message if you feel like it.
05:10 I will only say that keep supporting us, watch our match, back ourselves
05:17 and pray for us that we can win the title.
05:21 Excellent. Thank you very much for your time.
05:25 Thank you.
