‘The target is to be one of the topmost players’ – Babar Azam
New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham is confident his side will bounce back from their loss against Pakistan in the World Cup, while Pakistan’s match-winning centurion Babar Azam has targeted becoming one of the game’s “topmost players” after contributing “one of my best innings”.
“We don’t spend any time paying attention to how other teams are going or how they prepare,” Neesham told reporters after the six-wicket loss in Birmingham on June 26. “For us, it’s about looking after our own backyard. We’ve obviously been playing really good cricket over the tournament so far. Today was a bit of a blip, but that certainly won’t change the way we prepare for the last two games.”
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Neesham, along with Colin de Grandhomme (64), hauled up the Kiwis out of a hole in the first innings; their 132-run stand helped resuscitate them from 83-5 to a respectable 237. Neesham hit 97 – his highest ODI score – after Shaheen Afridi blew New Zealand’s top-order away with his initial spell of 3-11.
Known for his power-hitting at the death, Neesham had to uncharacteristically assume the role of anchor, biding his time and surviving a testing phase.
Neesham’s unbeaten 97, and Colin de Grandhomme’s 64, took New Zealand to 237.
“I suppose there’s external noise about whether you have the ability to guide an innings like that, and I have the belief that I have the ability to come out at 40-4 and guide our team, and also the ability to come out at 310-3 with two overs to go.”
However, the duo’s efforts weren’t enough to keep their unbeaten streak in the tournament intact, as Pakistan, led by centurion Babar Azam, diffused the chase in the last over. The 24-year-old Azam later revealed how the team’s plan was for him to stay at the crease till the target was chased down.
“It was one of my best innings. I gained confidence from my knock in the previous game [69 against South Africa]. In the last few games, I was getting dismissed in the 40s, this time the mindset was to play till the end and score a hundred. Haris [Sohail] and [Mohammed] Hafeez batted really well around me; they told me not to take chances. They said they’ll take the chances.”
Babar Azam’s century was his first against New Zealand in ODIs, and his 10th overall
Azam, who became the second fastest to reach 3,000 ODI runs ever [after Hashim Amla], expressed satisfaction at his own approach on a difficult track, but maintained that his primary focus lay in contributing to the team’s cause.
“The target is to be one of the topmost players. That’s what I plan for every time, to give my 100 per cent for the team. Performing for the team is the most important, individual performances alone don’t make me happy.”
Pakistan’s World Cup campaign has been spurred by back-to-back wins against South Africa and New Zealand, but Azam insists that they are taking it one fixture at a time, considering every match as do-or-die.
“After losing to Australia and India, we spoke about giving it our all in the next four games. We’ve managed two out of the four already. A few small aspects can improve, including the fielding, but things are improving for us. We believe in each other, and are always there to support one another. If one of us doesn’t finish the task, someone else will.”
