NEWS
Follow UsOman did put up some fight in a couple of games but it was far from enough to get them even a single win in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Part of Group B, Oman ended their campaign with four defeats. Against England in Antigua on June 13 (Thursday), Oman were bowled out for just 47 and allowed the defending champions to chase down the target in only 3.1 overs.
The Oman bowling unit had a couple of good games but the batters failed to adjust to the conditions and quality of bowling in the 20-over showpiece event. 109, 125, 150 and 47 - these are the scores Oman managed in their four matches. “Nothing much to say. You could see our batting, they totally collapsed throughout the whole tournament,” said Oman captain Aqib Ilyas after the eight-wicket defeat against England.
“Our batters, we couldn't do well. You could say in Barbados the wickets were up and down, and batsmen, if they didn't get many runs, it was okay because all the other teams were struggling in Barbados but over here the wickets are too good to bat on. The ball comes really nice on the bat, they're flat tracks. So, no excuses for the batters to give that the ball went up or down.
“We would say that they had some quality bowlers but I think we played some rash shots, we didn't select the bowlers right, we are playing to the top bowlers, we're going for them. Once they are on the top, they won't let you get runs. So maybe we would have been more sensible and we could have grinded them and take on some other bowlers. But that is how cricket is. Not all the days are the same for you. But you learn from your mistakes, you have to learn from your mistakes and you can't do much of them.”
Oman batters failed to handle the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood who claimed six wickets between them. Adil Rashid took the remaining four as Oman were bundled out in 13.2 overs. “See the thing is being an associate team, being very honest and it's a fact you don't get to face any of the bowlers who are 140 plus, who are top quality. So Jofra and Mark Wood, I would say at this moment, they are the fastest bowlers in cricket,” said Ilyas.
“And being an associate player, you go through a lot. You don't face any of the bowlers, once in a year if you play any of the fast bowlers that are 145 plus not even 140 plus. It comes at the back of your mind that they might come at you, they might hit you, anything is possible so many things go through the batsman's mind.
“But if we work on it, we have to work on it because next time if we come to a tournament like this, we can't be like this. Our batters, we have to be confident enough and we have to play some bowlers who really are that quick that it's not a surprise to us. However when we went at the wicket, what we thought at the back of the mind was that you might not be able to see the ball also. The way he was bowling against Pakistan, Mark Wood, 154, 155.
“But with four to five balls, you start getting comfortable. Our batsmen, they started to get comfortable. And no one was missing the ball or anything. But again, the same thing. We played the rash shots. We tried to take them on too early, which is not easy against the top sides. And Adil Rashid, obviously he's a good bowler, the wicket was helping him, though wickets were not turning much in the last games, but this was a sticky wicket.”
Talking about the positives, Ilyas said: “The positives are as bowlers they did really well. We can work more on our fielding. We are the side who dropped a lot of catches. We dropped eight or nine catches in three games and if we would have taken those catches, maybe the results would have been different.”
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