PALLEKELE, SRI LANKA: Amid the frustration of back-to-back heavy defeats, Oman’s veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nadeem carved out a slice of historical past on the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup on Thursday – at the same time as he refused to let the milestone distract from his workforce’s struggles.
At 43 years and 161 days, Nadeem turned the oldest cricketer in historical past to attain a half-century in a T20 World Cup, compiling a preventing unbeaten 53 towards Sri Lanka on the Pallekele Worldwide Cricket Stadium.
In doing so, he surpassed a long-standing mark held by Sri Lanka’s present head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, who was 39 years and 345 days when he struck a fifty towards West Indies within the 2009 version in Nottingham. In an intriguing twist, Jayasuriya was current on the venue in his capability as Sri Lanka head coach when his document was eclipsed.
Nadeem’s landmark knock additionally made him the oldest participant on this planet to register a half-century in any ICC event, eclipsing Netherlands’ Flavian Aponso, who was 43 years and 121 days when he scored 58 towards Pakistan within the 1996 ODI World Cup.
The non-public feat, nevertheless, got here in a 105-run defeat after Sri Lanka piled up 225, a complete Oman by no means critically threatened.
Regardless of the achievement, Nadeem’s focus remained firmly on the collective. “We’re a a lot better workforce than what we’ve carried out within the final two video games at this World Cup. Sure, we had been outplayed in each the matches, however our workforce has a lot better potential and talent.”
Sri Lanka’s batters dominated from the outset, leaving Oman chasing the sport. “Sri Lanka batted us out. Having scored 225, it was a an excessive amount of for us to chase. Had our bowlers did higher and stored them round 170-180, then we might have given a battle. Our bowling didn’t come good.”
Nadeem was equally candid in assessing the gulf in execution. “Sri Lanka are one in all finest groups on this planet and their batters did capitalise on the free deliveries on supply. With such world-class batters on the wicket, you possibly can’t afford to bowl beneath par.”
With hopes of advancing to the Tremendous Eights now extinguished, Oman flip their consideration to restoring pleasure of their remaining fixtures – towards Eire on the SSC in Colombo on Saturday and former champions Australia in Pallekele on February 20.
Nadeem believes the workforce can nonetheless end on a constructive observe. “Regardless of the defeats, we have to regroup sooner and keep constructive. We’ve got to showcase our skills at this grand stage and I imagine we’ll carry out within the coming two video games, beginning towards Eire.”
And in a remaining observe of defiance, he underlined his religion within the facet. “We’ve got to play fearless cricket. We nonetheless have two video games and we hope to have good ends in not less than one match. The 2 outcomes might present that we’re a weak workforce however I can inform one factor, we aren’t as dangerous a workforce because the outcomes have proven.”
For Nadeem, the document books will mirror longevity and resilience. For Oman, the better problem lies in proving that their potential runs deeper than the outcomes counsel.
