BRIDGETOWN: Oman’s captain Aqib Ilyas has criticized the batting line-up of Australia ahead of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 clash, scheduled later today at Kensington Oval.
This will be the first match between the two nations and Ilyas has expressed optimism about his team’s chances against the ODI and Test World champions.
“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,” the Oman captain told the reporters.
“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.
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He then took a dig at Australian batters, saying that they lack good technique and only try to go for big shots.
“(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,” Ilyas remarked.
For the unversed, Oman lost Namibia in the Super Over after they defended 109 runs in 20 overs to tie the match.
However, David Weise’s all-round performance sealed the Super Over victory for Namibia.
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