Teja Nidamanuru and Naveed Nawaz pre-match press conference Netherlands vs Sri Lanka , ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023

Netherlands player Teja Nidamanuru and Sri Lanka Assistant Coach Naveed Nawaz pre-match press conference Netherlands vs Sri Lanka , ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.

Netherlands player Teja Nidamanuru

Netherlands player Teja Nidamanuru pre-match press conference transcript

 [Reporter:] You must be delighted after defeating South Africa. And what is your plan against Sri Lanka? Are you going to cause another upset in this World Cup?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, look, we're very happy to obviously win against South Africa. I think we've been playing some good cricket, but we haven't been playing it for long enough. We've been playing sort of in patches of the game we've been really good, and then patches of the game we've been losing wickets or not bowling well. So, I don't think we still put the perfect performance together against South Africa, but we're happy to really win and move forward. I don't know if I'd call it an upset if I'm really honest with you. We've competed against Sri Lanka multiple times in the qualifiers, and obviously we fell short in our batting side, and we've worked extremely hard on that, whether that's camps in Alor and Bangalore, previous to the tournament or back in the Netherlands. So, we're here to play well and win. I wouldn't call it an upset if I'm honest.

 

[Reporter:] You might have seen the pitch, so are you going to play more speed? [inaudible]

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, we have seen the pitch. I understand obviously there's been a couple of low scores here, or lower scores. It's been a little bit drier. So, I think that's something that obviously the captain and the coach will consider in the selection panel and see how that goes. So yeah, at this stage, from speaking to the ground staff, they say it's going to be a little bit more pace and carry, so you never know. There's a bit more grass on it, so let's see.

 

[Reporter:] [inaudible question]

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, great question. Look I think If we assess those two games that we played against Sri Lanka, it's our batting department that probably didn't live up to the expectation that we needed to. I think in the final we played, we kept them down to a good score, we could have chased that, but obviously their spin through the middle was something that troubled us. The likes of Hasaranga, for example, and Theekshana have bowled really well against most batters in the world, but in those conditions where the ball was turning a little bit off the straight and it was tricky, but that's something that we've looked into and we've addressed and we've worked extremely hard on playing spin and being able to rotate strike through the middle a little bit better.

So, I think that's a key area in the game that we need to do well to get a positive result against Sri Lanka in this game.

 

[Reporter:] What does it mean in the sort of a bigger context for the format because you guys had a win against South Africa in the T20 World Cup as well about last October but then you have not played in the format since you have not had a chance to play in the format since like once it is great to obviously have a moment like that in a World Cup, but once the World Cup is over, how do you view that? Because it probably feels you're back to the grind, back to your old self, not great.

So, does that sort of come into the picture when you think about it? Because outside it looks like, oh - that's a great World Cup moment. But from your perspective, how do you look at it?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, look, I think as many of you are aware that are sitting here, like the challenges of associate cricket, the word that we don't like to use, actually - but the reality of it is that there is less funding and there is less sort of opportunity and there is less exposure.

Look, there's a difference between someone like Australia, India, England, whether that's South Africa or even New Zealand, they're always playing each other. And the exposure and sort of the know-how. It's not a huge secret because they are competing against each other all the time.

So, when obviously we're doing it, we're doing it in a way of - okay, we've really got to prepare really well. We've got to make sure we - in cricket, you've got to have a little bit of luck that goes your way and also be at the top of our game. But the way that we're training and the squad is built in terms of where we are, I think we're in a good place.

Obviously after the World Cup, going back to obviously Cricket World League  and sort of getting on that circuit for the next - obviously the next cycle, we just see it as an opportunity. Look, we're here to compete and we have an aim, we have an aspiration to try and play in the semi-finals and that could change stuff and we could get more bilateral series that way. So, the better we perform here and obviously showcase our skills, it will stand us in good stead going forward is our belief.

We're not really thinking too far afterwards, but obviously everyone's aware of the challenges in associate cricket regarding the funding or the facilities or the lack of exposure in terms of playing the bigger teams. So, when you do come up against them, you're like, okay, well, we've really got to rise to the occasion. But if we were playing like the other teams do, I'm sure that would be up to par in terms of how it goes. So, if you say, hey, we play someone like New Zealand 10 times, I'm sure we'd be able to win at least four or five games out of that. You know what I'm saying?

So, yeah, that's how we see it.

 

[Reporter:] You remember Lokesh, who was doing the warm-up and practice?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, yeah, left arm spinner. Yeah.

 

[Reporter:] Yeah. He was basically working for a delivery company. Now his company has decided to give him coaching and everything to fund him. So, any words of encouragement for him?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, look, I met Lokesh and spent a little bit of time with him. I think first and foremost, when you meet some people, you understand if they're a good person or not, and he's definitely one of those people, and he's really passionate about cricket. So yeah, look, you never know. Obviously, being a spinner and being a left arm spinner, there's not too many of those people going around So if he works harder that you never know where that might get him, so we wish him the best of luck not only personally I think everyone in the team really enjoyed having him around and sort of that initiative was really cool to meet some new guys coming through locally in India as well.

So, yeah, we wish them the best of luck.

 

[Reporter:] Congratulations on what was a historic win against the South Africans the other day. So, what is the reaction back home? I know the sport is struggling to get attention, you're competing with more popular sports like football and hockey. So, what has been the reaction back home and how did you guys celebrate that win? And if I may ask one more question, how much of that victory came off the field, the way you prepared for that match?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, so I think a lot of people are proud of us within the cricketing community in the Netherlands. It is a very small community, it's not a massive community. I'd say in total there won't be any more than 5,000 odd people that play cricket in the Netherlands, if I'm really honest with you guys. So, we're not talking about thousands or hundreds of thousands of people.

So, I've been involved in Dutch cricket now for the last four and a half years, being living there full time and everything like that. It's quite a close and tight-knit community because everyone knows everyone.

The response has been very positive, and I've seen it being covered on the main national news, which is called NOS. There was an article done there. It was on live television. The awareness of the game is also growing in the Netherlands, as from what I noticed as well, which is a really huge positive for us, because quite often when you say play cricket, not many people know what that is.

So yeah, look, from that point of view, it's positive. We've had some really good support. We received some very nice messages from our cricket board as well, which has been really cool.

In regards to the second part of your question, the off-field preparation is massive for us. As I've just alluded to before, we don't get to play the sort of quality bowling or the batsman all the time. So obviously our preparation in terms of execution and the level of execution being very high, yeah, it's something that we definitely practice and we look into a lot. So, it is very key.

 

[Reporter:] You spoke about facing the quality bowling attack – if you speak about the pre-tournament campaign that you held in Karnataka, then you come here, face the net bowlers. And their numbers are in plenty. And after facing them, when you go into the game, and so there is a difference, right?

So, what you have to say about that, I mean, do you regret facing those kind of, or getting that kind of practice before the game, or the lack of that kind of a quality? What would you like to say about that?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Look, I think we try to replicate, obviously that is not the only time that we're training. We try to replicate match scenario situations as much as possible. Actually, during that camp in Alor, we had a couple of side armers from the Sunrisers Hyderabad there as well. So, they were extremely fast, one was a left armer and one was a right armer. So, we try to top up or we try to obviously bridge the gap in different ways. Let's look at it this way. Obviously quality training that is purposeful is always useful, whether that's a little bit slower or whether that's whatever the case may be.

And obviously, when you get out into the middle, there's a match day intensity, you move quicker, you adjust to different things. Obviously, you're problem solving on the go. That's also part of being a professional cricketer.

So, I think it's just about being able to mentally be able to manage those things as best as possible, whether we have that or we don't have that. And that's something we try to pride ourselves on and that goes into the off the field preparation and our open-mindedness in terms of how we work.

 

[Reporter:] Tell me about your own like you had a century in the qualifiers You are the experienced companion of the team, but you have got here to a good start, but didn't convert it to like, what is your mindset?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, it is a little bit frustrating. Obviously, I'd love to be contributing more towards the team's success and especially in the first two games we were a little bit short through the middle there. So yeah, look, in terms of my mindset or our philosophy is to still keep being positive and to have good intent. If you look at the best teams in the world through the middle, whether that's India, South Africa, whoever, they bat really well. They're going at five, six and over. And they do that through good, strong stroke play. And it's something that we did in the qualifiers, playing Sri Lanka, playing obviously good quality opposition in Ireland and other people that were there.

I personally feel good. And I'm just looking forward to – I can feel that it's around the corner, I'm hitting the ball well, personally. So, I've just got to keep being positive and obviously play the situation that's in front of me and I'm sure it will come.

 

[Reporter:] You just spoke about in the qualifiers that you all were done in by the spin of Hasaranga and Theekshana – I mean Hasaranga is not with the Sri Lanka team now. So, I mean, does that sort of give your team an advantage, and knowing that these wickets are more suited to batting against turners?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Yeah, look, obviously They've got quality spinners, Sri Lanka, they always have. They've always produced great quality spin bowlers, so whoever they have in their team, they'll still be a threat. I think it's just about us being able to manage what is in our control really well and if we can do that and I'm sure we can execute and you know it's a game that yeah, we see as there's an opportunity obviously for both teams.

So yeah, we enter into it with a very positive frame of mind whether we're playing whoever – spin or pace.

 

[Reporter:] One is, how is the mood in the team beating South Africa? And what do you like to say about your captain's knock against South Africa?

The second question is how the Netherlands hockey team is rooting for your success against Sri Lanka. So, what do you want to say?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] The mood in the camp is, I think the word that I would like to use is calm. Obviously, we're excited after the game and we celebrated it and we sat around and had a good conversation about the game. But we've come to the World Cup with a goal in our mind and I think our focus sort of quickly shifted to, okay, well, what's next and can we prepare? So, we travelled, we trained, we trained yesterday, we trained today and obviously we're ready to go for tomorrow morning. The mood is calm and quite a few of the guys are very determined because we lost twice to them at the qualifiers, and it's something that we want to put right for ourselves within our group.

And regarding Scottie's knock, I would describe it as gritty and smart and typical Scott Edwards knock if I'm honest. He's a really good person on and off the field and deserves all the success. So, we're very pleased for him personally and obviously the team contribution is amazing. So, we're very happy with what he's brought to the table for us.

 

[Reporter:] My question is that for more exposure and more experience, is there should be any professional league in the Netherlands, just like IPL, PSL?

 

[Teja Nidamanuru:] Look, I think we tried to get Euro-slam off the ground a few years ago, but for COVID and some other challenges and I think, also funding or whatever it may be, it didn't quite go through. But basically, that was encompassing Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, and there were a few players, also marquee players, that were sort of advertised through there. Look, I think it would be great for us and I don't think we're too far away we're hoping obviously being on the world stage and performing the way we are we can attract leagues or people to start a franchise or do something in that sort of triangle over there which would be really, really awesome.

Sri Lanka Assistant Coach Naveed Nawaz 

Sri Lanka Assistant Coach Naveed Nawaz pre-match press conference (English and Sinhalese) transcript

[Reporter:] Sri Lanka, as you know, we are the only team that has not got points on the board. Is there any sort of pressure on the team going into tomorrow's game? And how has been the preparations for tomorrow's game?

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] Obviously, we haven't got any points so far. There is a pressure to win a game. The last couple of games we have been performing on and off well in departments, but I think we are yet to produce a tidy game so far. We have addressed issues and we have trained the last couple of days with a new captain in place. I think the group is positive and we are looking forward to it.

 

[Reporter:] The first two games we batted really well scoring past 300 runs but in Lucknow we didn't click very well - scoring only 209. How do you feel about that and are you ready to take that challenge for the next game against Netherlands, because Netherlands is a day game?

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] Well, yeah, obviously the first two games, from a batting perspective I think we did well. The main thing is that we have a clear plan of how we want to bat in the middle and different players have their different methods of playing and it's important that we all align individual performance into a team plan.

We have discussed that and hopefully the players are very clear of how we are planning to go about it. We are looking forward to continuing the normal performance as a batting group.

 

[Reporter:] What is the dew factor for the match?

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] Well, I think the dew factor is not going to be there, so I think the wicket is going to be good as usual. We saw that in the Australia game as well. It might take a little bit of turn, but I think it's not going to be much of a difference. The only thing is the night dew factor is going to be gone.

 

[Reporter:] Hi. So, losing someone like Dasun is quite a big blow, that too in midway of a tournament. So how the dressing room is coping with that?

And secondly, you are going to face the Netherlands, right? The team that has recently caused an upset against South Africa. So, is that something going through the minds of the players, or it's just another game like the previous ones?

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] Well, losing Dasun is a loss for us. Any team losing the captain of the team is going to have an impact. But Kusal Mendis has been deputising for Dasun for a long time and he's an experienced player so it's not affected us into that effect.

I think we have no control over things that are happening in the tournament, which obviously in a long tournament like this there can be ups and downs. So, we are not thinking about it. We are more focused on our game and how we can come on a day and try and have a tidy performance and do less mistakes in the middle, as the batting, bowling, and fielding groups go and execute our plans with less mistakes. So, we are focused on that at the moment.

 

[Reporter:][inaudible question]

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] We have to take one match at a time because we can't play five, six matches at a time. So, we need to be focused on our next game. Obviously, we have drawn up plans about how we are going to play in the rest of the tournament, but it's very important that we stay in the present and deal with your challenges which you face next. So, we are not thinking too far ahead. We are trying to deal with what we have in hand and move forward.

 

[Reporter:] Can you give us an update about Dasun Shanaka? And he has been retained in the team and why do you all decide to keep him in India? Any particular reason for that?

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] Yeah, He's in the process of rehabilitation and he started training already, he's not in the 15-member squad, but he's in as one of the reserve players. So once his rehabilitation process is done and once, we know whether he's available for selection, I think selectors wanted to keep him as a backup in case we face any other injuries in the batting order as a option.

 

[Reporter:] Angelo Mathews is coming in and he's not played an ODI since June – How ready do you think is he to play immediately or is he someone you will hold out and see if you need to really bring him into XI say by the next game or do you think he is ready to walk into the XI tomorrow?

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] No, he can't walk into the game tomorrow because he is not included in the 15 submitted to the ICC. We need to release one of the players from the squad for either Angelo or Dushmantha Chameera to come in. So, like I said before, we have a few injury concerns, so we'll make that decision in the coming days, depending on the reports from medicals.

 

[Reporter:] Looking back do you think it is the bowling that you need to work hard on looking ahead to the rest of the tournament?

 

[Naveed Nawaz:] Well, as you know, we came into this tournament with a lot of injuries to our main bowlers. We have been having this in the last couple of months. Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out and Dushmantha Chameera was ruled out. Mahesh Theekshana was ruled out for the first couple of games. So, we had a concern there, to be honest. But we are playing with a really young group of bowlers, so they are bound to make mistakes. The way forward is how we can learn from the mistakes and move forward. It's a long tournament, it's a nine-game tournament we are playing. So, I think the players have room to learn and improve their capabilities, because we've got a very capable group, no doubt, and the tournament is long enough for them to learn from their mistakes and move forward. So, we are still hopeful to play a tidy game tomorrow and to see our chances moving forward.

 

[Reporter] Naveed, We face the next match having lost three games in a row. Because the Netherlands have beaten South Africa, they are in good shape. How do you see this challenge?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] The fact that the Netherlands beat South Africa was beyond our control. As I mentioned earlier, when playing a tournament that has been going on for a long time like this, there may be mistakes in some places. We focus on the order in which we play and what mistakes we made in the previous matches, how can we correct those things, how can we make fewer mistakes in our batting, bowling, and fielding, and how can we have an impact on focusing. I think there is no point in getting unnecessary pressure on us by thinking about things that we cannot control.

 

[Reporter] Naveed, Kusal Janith Perera was hit by a ball and injured, has he recovered from it now? Is he available for selection in tomorrow's competition? Also, can you give a little update on Matheesha Pathirana's condition? He has also been injured for several days after the match against Pakistan. Can you give an update on their injuries?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] Discussing Kusal's situation, there's a specific protocol in place when a player is struck on the head by a ball. Medical professionals and doctors closely observe him for a five-day period. Yesterday, he participated in training, and he's actively training today as well. Following today's training session, he will make a decision regarding his availability for tomorrow's match. About whether he can play or not. Matisha Pathirana has not recovered yet. He is still in his rehabilitation process. I think he has a ten-day process. After ten days we can tell what his condition is. Currently, he is not available for selection.

 

[Reporter] Naveed, Do we have a strategy for utilizing Mathews and the fast bowler effectively? Additionally, if we win the toss tomorrow, have we decided whether we'll opt to bat first or bowl first? Can you provide information on our plans in that regard? Could you elaborate on the roles of Dushmantha Chameera and Angelo Mathews in the tournament?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] Currently, those two are not in the 15 squad. Today they are coming to India. We have about four days until the next match. We will have to think about them only after they come here and after the confirmation of Matisha Pathirana's condition. Currently the selectors are thinking about how to cover the options we need and how to use substitute players for them. We should practice on this pitch extensively and get our team ready for these conditions. We haven't had a chance to inspect the wicket in our previous visits, but today, we have the opportunity. Once we assess the pitch, we'll make decisions on our approach accordingly.

 

[Reporter]  Naveed, In the last match we saw some weakness in the bowling department, especially Dilshan Madushanka said that if his side had support from the other side, the match could have been changed. What is the plan for bowling in tomorrow's match? Hoping to make a difference in the bowling sector?

 

[Naveed Nawaz]The final lineup of eleven players for the match has yet to be determined. As mentioned earlier, Dilshan Madushanka has emerged as a key fast bowler due to Dushmantha Chamira's injury, and he has assumed this role admirably. I believe he is performing effectively as the  primary fast bowler in the team. Following Matheesha Pathiranage's injury, we find ourselves with limited alternatives. We only have one fast bowler to add to the team. We'll assess the wicket and determine the most suitable composition for our fast-bowling unit in this match.

 

[Reporter] Naveed, Pathirana is the sole player with an injury. Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera will also be coming today. Assuming we receive permission from the ICC tonight, which of these two will be added to the 15-member squad? If that happens, will that player have the opportunity to participate in tomorrow's match?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] No, no chance to play.

 

[Reporter] In that case, priority will be given to either Dushmantha Chameera or Mathews to fill that vacancy.?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] No, they can't play right now. We have given 15 to the ICC for now.

 

[Reporter] What I meant is that Pathirana has been referred to the ICC's technical committee.

 

[Naveed Nawaz] No. Not referred yet.

 

[Reporter] When evaluating our team's performance over the past few months, it's evident that there have been shortcomings, particularly in the midfield, specifically with our sixth and seventh players. Given these weaknesses, do you believe it might have been beneficial to include a seasoned player like Angelo Mathews in the squad for this tournament in the early, as the team has continued to exhibit vulnerabilities?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] I cannot comment on the selection. But there was a weakness in our midfield. I admit it. It was there even in the qualifiers. No. 6 and 7 had weakness. I cannot say here who are the players we need to replace. The selection committee is there for that. I think it is their business. I don't know how those guys planned it because I wasn't involved in the selection. But we had an issue in the midfield.

 

[Reporter] Excluding Matheesha and Kusal, has the technical committee provided replacements for any of the other fifteen players thus far?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] We haven't requested replacements for Matisha or Kusal, and in fact, we haven't requested replacements for any other players either.

 

[Reporter] A noticeable aspect is that Dhananjaya Silva has yet to reach his expected performance level. We anticipate contributions from him both in batting and bowling, but this has not materialized thus far. Do we have any plans in place to address this situation? The importance of the support staff comes into play, as they play a crucial role. If players face continued challenges, it's the responsibility of the support staff to provide assistance and help them progress. What are your thoughts on this matter?

 

[Naveed Nawaz] If we talk about Dhananjaya de Silva's technical things, there is no big mistake to talk about technical things. There are little things in his game approach. We are talking about those things. I think as coaches there is a level we can do when working with a player. In the last season, there was not much time to make big changes in the players. Because if a player makes a big change during a tournament, it can be a big disadvantage for us. Sometimes the players don't like it that much. Because there is a risk that the change will be effective for them or not. But I think Dhananjaya de Silva has done something as a player. He is good at both bowling and batting. But from the side of consistency, there is a shortcoming. The most important thing is that every player in Sri Lanka should have a backup. We should have developed a trend. If a player has any such problem, then there is a chance to put that player out for a while, correct his mistakes, and join the game.

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