Oman cricketer Zeeshan Maqsood seeks for Dhoni’s advice on ‘Calmness’

He said he will ask Mahendra Singh Dhoni how he stays calm in difficult situations. “Even after losing or winning the match, he stays calm.”

Further Maqsood has said that India’s stalwart batter Virat Kohli is a legend in the world of cricket and he also wants to learn from Dhoni.

Maqsood, whose ancestors migrated from Hoshiarpur in Punjab heaped praises on other Indian players. According to Maqsood, “Virat Kohli is a legend. Rohit Sharma is good as well. Learning from both of them would have been good”.

Maqsood, a left-arm spinner, said he looks forward to meeting Ravindra Jadeja, who is the number one all-rounder in the Test format.

“Looking at both things, his plus point is bowling. He performs with the bat as well in crucial matches. He is also a left-handed batsman, I would have asked him about batting shots. I would have definitely taken advice from Ravindra Jadeja because he is also a left-arm spinner.”

He said mentioned India, Australia, England, and Pakistan as the top teams in ICC World Cup.

Oman has not been able to qualify for the World Cup.

“It’s sad not being able to come to India. We have visited the nation before but it’s definitely disappointing. Playing in the World Cup was a dream for us but we have learned from our experiences. My ancestors were from India, they migrated from Hoshiarpur. So I thought of visiting the place. I was a part of the Oman squad in 2016 when we qualified for the T20 World Cup in India. From there onwards, the team and management supported each other throughout. In the last four years, we have made great progress in ODI cricket as well.”

“Qualifying in such tournaments as ICC Qualifiers and being part of it is a great opportunity for those back in Oman. People have started liking cricket in Oman. Facilities, cricket grounds, and indoor grounds have helped cricket grow in Oman and the nation is making progress. We have proper facilities like a Test nation has. There is support and feedback from people,” he added.

The Oman captain also reflected on his team’s performance in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers.

“Against Sri Lanka, we lacked experience. We didn’t win the toss and the Sri Lankan bowlers were good. Against Scotland, we played better, but we didn’t get a great start still we got above 250 runs. We have learned a number of things from such matches”.

Sri Lanka thrashed Oman by 10 wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifier to climb to the top of Group B.

The ICC Cricket World Cup will kick off on 5 October. A total of 10 teams will participate in the showcase event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be determined at the end of the Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, which concludes on July 9.

The ICC World Cup Final will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19 with November 20 slated as the reserve day.

Updated: 03 Jul 2023, 08:06 AM IST