How close are we now to a situation where teams in the DP World ILT20 could quite comfortably include three UAE players in an XI with no reduction in quality?

Yeah, absolutely.

I don't think we're too far away from seeing a team field three UA players in one game.

I think over the last two, three years, I think the UA players have earned that right and that privilege where, you know, teams can actually afford to have three UA players on the field because every time a UA player has been given a chance in the big stage, they've actually done really well.

Especially last year with Kuzi being in the charts for best bowler, Wasim being in the charts for the highest run scorer.

So that tells you that, you know, UA players can compete with the superstars from around the world.

That's a great sign for UA cricket, of course.

How did you think they acquitted themselves?

Is there anything you or the players could have done differently at the end there in the face of Hafiz's hitting?

When Hafiz Kaleem came in too bad, of course, I mean, we were always in the game because we were just two wickets away from winning it.

So if you get one wicket in, you get number 11, who's Junaid, in too bad.

Even if it's 10 runs, we're always in the game.

Even if it's five runs, we're in the game.

So we were always looking to get a wicket.

But of course...

How significant was the toss? I ask because these days it seems most sides want a chase.

What was the thinking there?

Uh, well, yeah, of course I batted as an opener today.

That's where I usually bat, but of course I don't mind batting.

I don't mind being versatile.

But I think in the team we have right now, that's probably where I'm suited because we have, uh, loads of middle order batsmen.

So we-- our batting depth is really big, uh, especially with four all-rounders, uh, in the middle order.

So I don't think...

What did the pitch play like and what were conditions like, especially the humidity?

Talk us through, um, your contribution there.

Yeah, I mean, of course, you know, it's a, it's a very different role, um, to, to finish the game.

I've always been a top order batsman, but I've cherished that role until, un- since I've been a part of the Vipers.

Uh, from the start of Jan, been working hard on both my game as a top order batsman and as a finisher.

I think it's about, uh, some smarts 'cause I know probably not the biggest hitter of the ball, but it's about how I can get boundaries and help the team achieve as much runs as possible in the death overs.

So I did go with a clear plan.

I think batting with Rilee just makes things easier.

And I have to ask you just before we go, what was it like to play in front of that atmosphere today at Providence Stadium with, uh, a Guyana crowd shouting for the Guyana Amazon Warriors? That must have been a remarkable, uh, situation to be in the middle of.

What stood out for you in keeping to those bowlers and others besides?

I mean, from the start of the tournament, uh, I was, I, I knew that I was gonna be the second choice keeper after Kuz.

But then when we had James Foster as a head coach, I had to make the most out of it when I was training there.

So from day one I was nagging him to, to do some keeping drills, do some keeping work with me just to be ready and of course to pick brains out of James Foster.

I think he's one of the best keepers who played the game.

So I think that kind of got me ready for when the chance presented itself to put my hand up and be like, "Yeah, I'm good to go." Of course, like when the innings started, I was not gonna keep that game.

I was gonna be in the boundary riding the boundary.

How did you go about doing that and, and did it add anything to your game as a result I wonder?