Here’s the full transcript of Harmanpreet Kaur’s press conference before the clash vs Pakistan
[Reporter:]
Well Harman, the first major tournament for India after winning the World Cup — how excited are you and the team about this World Cup and how do you look ahead to India’s first match tomorrow against Pakistan?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
We are all very excited, it’s a very big tournament for all of us and we’re all looking forward to it. Everyone is very excited for the first game, because the first game is always important and, it’s often said that the first game sets the tone, and I think we all are looking forward to the first game.
[Reporter:]
Skipper, many congratulations, 10tha World Cup doesn’t happen for too many people. Can you reflect on that journey from a personal standpoint when you started out, and what it means to you to be representing India and captaining the team after the World Cup win?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Well, I think I’m very grateful that I got this opportunity. I can only be grateful and very thankful that, for so many years, the team has been showing trust in me and letting me lead. I think it’s very emotional and a very happy feeling for me because I’ve been playing cricket — cricket is something which is very close to my heart and never want to stop playing, because this is something I love the most and I’m really happy that this time we’re going to play 10th T20 World Cup and hopefully go with the same mindset and same approach like how we went in the last ODI World Cup. Everyone is very positive about this tournament and hopefully we will give our best.
[Reporter:]
Whenever an India–Pakistan match happens, fans consider it a high-pressure game. For you is it a normal game or does it carry more pressure and excitement?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
I won’t say there’s no pressure — there is pressure. Since I started watching cricket, as a supporter I have felt that pressure, and now that we play it’s even more. But at the same time we always say that the more we enjoy this game the better it is for us, because we are the lucky ones who are picked for this big occasion and we just want to enjoy ourselves on the field. I think, more than anything, it is another game we are going to play tomorrow and we just want to play our best cricket.
[Reporter:]
You have been in England for a long time and have now had a series here — what have been the key learnings do you think you have learned from your time here things that you can use in the tournament?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
I think the conditions, because conditions keep changing during the day. Sometimes it’s cloudy, sometimes it’s sunny, and understanding the weather and understanding your playing eleven every day — it’s going to be different, it’s not going to be the same. You can’t just go with a fixed plan; you have to be very flexible with a lot of things. So I think that is the key point we have learned so far and hopefully will use in this major tournament.
[Reporter:]
Actually, I had the same question: from the last World Cup to this T20 World Cup, in the T20 format things didn’t go the way we wanted in the England series — what went wrong and what are your lessons from that series going into the World Cup, especially when things don’t always go right?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
I personally feel that when things are always going well, sometimes you don’t know which areas you need to improve in as a team, but when you lose, you learn a lot. As a team you learn a lot; you know which areas you need to improve. I think that’s what the last one and half-month has shown is lots of things, lots of scope for improvement. And that’s what we have been discussing in team meetings and trying to apply ourselves on the field — how we can do better in that area, how to improve ourselves and bring that onto the field. And I think those losses have given a lot of learning and hopefully we’ll use that experience for this tournament.
[Reporter:]
How important the spinners are going to be in this tournament, because spin has always been a strength. This time also we have many experienced spinners.
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Yeah, definitely — I think spin has always been a strength and no doubt about it, and they are our game-changers, whether it’s Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani or Shreyanka who has been doing really well. So now back in the side, I mean spin will always play a key role for us and they are our strength no doubt and they are the ones who are going to lead our bowling department will hopefully lead from the front.
[Reporter:]
Well, Harman — the way Richa batted in the last match, she really won the match for India; that must be a huge positive going into the World Cup. And also the way Yastika has come back strongly after injury, those two players you must be really pleased with the way they’ve performed in the tour so far.
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Yeah, one hundred percent. We were waiting for Richa to get that confidence back — and she’s a key player, a game-changer for us, and we are all very happy that now, she’s back in form and confident again. She’s looking really well after that game, even in the nets. I think one good innings always gives you a lot of confidence, and we have seen that the moment she got those runs she looks like a completely different player in the nets. So I think even Yastika, whenever she got the opportunity she has proven herself, I think everyone in the team — not just those two, but I think everyone in the team — is looking quite confident. Everyone is ready for tomorrow’s game.
[Reporter:]
Captain whenever it’s India v Pakistan; be it men’s, women’s or any sport, it’s a different match. There’s a whole political story to that. From last September onwards — we’ve seen no handshakes — there is always this political backdrop. Are you guys talking about it; do you at all talk about it? Because often times players tell us it’s another game, we know it’s not just another game — it is pressure, it’s everything else. So this time around, another World Cup — is there any talk about handshakes, for example, is it going to happen? Is it the BCCI’s call? Your call — whose call is it?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Well, I think we are here for cricket and we only talk about cricket; except cricket we don’t talk about anything, and I don’t even, think about anything except cricket. Cricket has been our dream from day one and we only discuss cricket. For tomorrow’s game, we are only thinking that it’s another game that we are going to play. Definitely pressure is going to be there, which I earlier agree to that — whenever we play against Pakistan pressure will be there — but at the same time it’s only about how we are going to enjoy that pressure because in any International game, pressure is going to be there; it’s only about giving your 100% in that game and enjoying each and every moment.
[Reporter:]
Captain, you just said that in English conditions the combination will not be the same in the game, and you have a lot of depth in fast bowling and in the spin department, but there is probably one area which India team is missing — pace bowling all-rounder in this tournament — because Amanjot’s unfortunate injury . So how do you manage to counter that part when you are thinking about getting the combination right for the games?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Yeah, no doubt Amanjot was a very important player for all of us, but unfortunately now she’s not there. But I think the way Kranti is bowling and Arundhati is responding so well on the field, I think they are taking the responsibility and doing those crucial roles for us. And apart from that, I think Bharti I someone who was there batting in the lower batting order, is also trying to fulfil that spot. So now it’s only about getting the right combination and just going with your gut feeling about what is best for the team and just trying to pick those best players for you on that particular day.
[Reporter:[
You have played here before; you led India in the 2022 Commonwealth Games to the final, so how much will that experience help you in this World Cup, in terms of the ground conditions and moving on to fans — the India–Pakistan community is huge living in Birmingham — so the team that has more fans here faces more pressure or gets a bigger morale boost.
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Yes, the last time we played here we had very good memories. We had a fair number of matches, we had the opportunity to play here and that experience remains. Even today when we entered the dressing room, everybody got so excited because we all felt like it’s a home ground for us; after playing so many matches here the ground and the field become quite familiar and that experience will help us a lot. Along with that we will try to create a good combination which will be best for us tomorrow, and I think fans always come to watch cricket and to support it, and they enjoy the side that plays good cricket, so I hope tomorrow we are on the side where we make our fans and our country proud.
[Reporter:]
The last time you played a major tournament here it was the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games — how much will those experiences, except maybe the final which you lost against Australia – are you looking to use it, as you kick-start the World Cup?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Yeah, as I mentioned, when we last played here we played a good number of games; now we know how these pitches look like and even yesterday’s game we watched and I think that experience is definitely going to help us, whenever we go to the field we will go with confidence and we have the right ideas about how we have to execute ourselves on the field — so hopefully that experience helps on the field.
[Reporter:[
A slightly tactical question: we have seen you, although in the WPL also it was used, recently the ‘retired out’ was used in The Hundred and Katherine Brice became the first retired out. We saw you retired out Yastika twice in four innings, Shermaine Campbell in the same West Indies match, so is a retired-out a tactical option, because it has been normalized in men’s cricket. So in women’s cricket perhaps India are becoming a trendsetter; so is there a conversation in the dressing room that if needed we will use it.
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Well, I think all these decisions on the field are made according to what seems right to you at that time. But in the last practice game we wanted to give some game time to Richa, that’s why we called Yastika out from the field. Otherwise she was batting beautifully that day, but you have an option where you can control the game however you want; that option is there and you can always use it. But I think in the last game we just did it because we wanted to give a fair chance to Richa Ghosh.
[Reporter:]
Do you have a fully fit squad to choose from no injury concerns?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Everyone is fit and fine, confident for tomorrow’s game.
[Reporter:]
Harman, now your thoughts on the way. Nandini Sharma has been bowling. She took a little time to settle into international cricket.
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Yeah, I mean she is bowling really well—I think her experience from WPL is really helping her and that’s why we want more girls to play WPL to get used to how international pressure feels. I think she is someone who may not play that much international cricket, but she is important and doing her job really well.
[Reporter:]
You just spoke about Richa—can you shed some light on how Richa operates, especially when she has a lean phase, she is in an important role where more hard-hitting is required; there is no one other than Bharti, and the role that she plays. What was your communication, how did she deal with this lean phase?
[Harmanpreet Kaur:]
Look, whichever batting order she bats in, to be honest is the most tough batting order for any batter, and despite that she has been handling pressure and performing in almost every game. I think that shows how mentally strong she is, and this time too it was all about one good innings. That last innings when she played, against England in the practice game, that definitely gave a lot of confidence, and for any batter just one good knock is important to come back to good form. I think that her rough phase is gone; now she is again looking so good in the nets and hopefully she’ll carry that into her batting, practice and games.
