05 June 2024 Punjab Khabarnama : Oman captain Aqib Ilyas revealed that they can trouble Australia when the two sides meet in their Group B clash at the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday.
Oman began their campaign with a loss in the Super Over against Namibia at the same venue on Sunday. Australia will be playing their first match and have never come across Oman in international cricket.
Ilyas is confident that Oman’s spinner can dominate the Australia batters and their obsession with six-hitting.
“You see the last match, how the ball was turning and staying low,” Ilyas told reporters on Tuesday.
“(Australia) used to have a few players with good techniques in the past like Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, but I don’t think they have many now. They look to hit big. They only try to go for sixes. If we get the same wicket (as the one against Namibia), maybe it could be a problem for them.
“On a slower track with good quality spinners, the only thing we need to do is play with a big heart and put the ball in the right areas, because the ball doesn’t know how big (a reputation) the batter (has). If it turns a bit or it stays low, the batter is in trouble.”
“We don’t have much to lose. Every time there is a World Cup, there is an upset … anything can happen. We respect (Australia) 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.
“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,” he added.