Pakistan's mystery spinner Usman Tariq has no qualms in admitting that he returned to cricket after getting inspired by the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Key Points
- Usman Tariq insists the Pakistan cricket team is not feeling pressure despite their heavy loss to India in the T20 World Cup.
- Tariq defends Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, emphasizing their past contributions to Pakistan's cricket success.
- Tariq cites Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his inspiration for returning to cricket.
Pakistan's players copped heavy criticism from fans and former players after their humiliating defeat to India in the T20 World Cup but off-spinner Usman Tariq said that the team is not under any pressure after the loss.
The 28-year-old mystery spinner, who has an unusual stop-start bowling action, also defended senior batter Babar Azam and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi after their below-par show against India, saying they have won many matches for Pakistan in the past.
"To be honest, this pressure is mostly created by spectators and outside opinions. People feel there is panic, but inside the team, I haven't felt any such pressure. Winning and losing are part of the game," Usman said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, on eve of Pakistan's must-win last group match against Namibia.
"We believe in our strengths, and we'll use them in the upcoming matches. At the moment, there's no clarity about the playing XI. We'll see who plays on the day," he said when asked if there will changes in the playing XI for the Namibia match.
Pakistan face a do-or-die game against Namibia to advance to the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup.
"After the match (against India), we had a meeting. We discussed where our plans didn't work, about the areas where we had lapses, and how we could revise them to make sure we don't repeat those mistakes.
"We'll work on those mistakes and that will definitely help in getting better results," said Usman who was inspired by iconic former India captain MS Dhoni to take up the game.
Support For Seniors Babar, Afridi
Asked if Azam and Afridi's confidence took a hit after their poor show against India, Usman said, "There's no doubt that Shaheen and Babar have won many matches for Pakistan. One game doesn't define their capability or calibre.
"If something like this happens, they know how to recover because they are senior players. There's nothing like they are shattered or under extra pressure. It's part of the game. Some days you do well, some days you don't. The main thing is how you come back and perform again."
He said playing against India was always a high-intensity affair but there was no "special pressure".
"Playing against India is always high intensity, so whatever pressure is there is normal -- it's something every human being feels. The important thing is how you overcome it, and we prepared for that.
"So there wasn't any special pressure. We were just trying to execute our plans. Performances depend on the day. If the bowling unit missed their lines, we'll focus on those things and work to improve in the next match."
Usman, who impressed with figures of 1/24 from his quota of four overs against India, admitted that playing in the marquee clash was a career-defining moment.
"Yes, of course. I think the whole nation watched the Pakistan-India match, and people around the world watch it. Honestly, I saw it as a big opportunity to make a name for myself. I tried my best, but personally, I feel I wasn't up to the mark the way I should have been. Hopefully, if I get another chance, I'll do much better than I did in the last game."
He also said that Indian batters were "very focused" and they had a clear plan not to lose wickets to him.
"They stuck to it (the plan). I was trying to get wickets according to my plans. In the end, I think it was safe from my side. I didn't get wickets, but I also didn't concede too many runs. That helps the team.
"If you bowl in crucial phases and control the scoring, it benefits the team because the other bowler can take wickets from the other end."
Inspiration from Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Usman revealed that he rediscovered his love for the game after watching the movie M S Dhoni: The Untold Story which released in 2016.
"As for my inspiration, I came back to cricket after watching M S Dhoni. His story felt similar to mine because I was also working a job, and he was too.
"He created history, and I felt that if he could do it, maybe I could as well. But for that, I would have to work very hard. That's what inspired me to return to cricket."
Namibia's Perspective
"Yeah, it's definitely (on our minds to end the tournament on a high). The last three games, each game, we were in position to win. And then we just made small errors which our opposition took advantage of. So we're definitely looking to end the tournament on a high," said Namibia coach Craig Williams.
"When we played India, we actually got ourselves into a position to win the game. I know it was a long shot and all that. We've played some really good cricket. We'll also hopefully be able to put that all together in the last game tomorrow."
He said his bowlers have specific plans for Pakistani batters but the important thing is to to execute the plans.
"They (Pakistan) might be out of form, but they're still professional good players. We've done a lot of research into our opposition. Our bowlers have got very specific plans to each one of those players. We will just hopefully try to execute those plans that we put in place.
"I think we just have to play a really good game of cricket for all 240 balls. I think against India, against Holland, against the USA, we were 75% - 80% of the time on top and then that last 20% let us down. So we're just looking for a really good performance tomorrow."
Williams also said that his team has plans to deal with Pakistan's mystery spinner Usman Tariq and has seen a lot of videos of him.
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