“We are battle hardened, we’ve been playing knockout cricket for two weeks”: Mark Boucher

The MI New York Head Coach, Mark Boucher, was all smiles at the press conference ahead of the big final against Washington Freedom. He showered his praise on Nicholas Pooran’s leadership, the young USA players stepping up, the team culture, and the scouting system across all MI franchises around the world. Excerpts.. 

Thoughts on the journey so far

It was quite tough at the beginning of the tournament because we lost quite a few players we expected to be here. Finding combinations was always going to be tough. It took us a bit of time. The trip to Fort Lauderdale for us was the turning point. It suited us quite a bit. We had quite a few spin options and those conditions suited them. Getting one or two wins there got us back on track and got the guys believing. We got the opportunity to play a game where we got one or two guys who weren’t playing the opportunity. We saw a couple of things there that really excited us and we’ve taken that forward and put those guys in positions where they could potentially win us the game. That has been the saving grace in this competition for us. Along with a lot of hard work and belief, it has gelled together. It is how you finish the tournament that is important. We struggled in sectors of this competition but we kept the belief and played some good cricket where it counts. 

On the scouting of players in MI franchises 

I think any player that steps into an MI franchise team can take a lot of confidence from because they have been recognized by a team of individuals who do a lot of homework and a lot of scouting. That self belief that you selected for an MI franchise is something you can take confidence from. The support you get off the field is fantastic. When things aren’t going your way, the support is fantastic. The belief is there that we can pull it back no matter what. The whole supports staff and the surrounding of MI is where people get confidence from. If you’re an international and you’re playing for the MI franchise, you know you’ve done something good in your career or are expected to do something good. They select a lot of stalwarts who have been fantastic in world cricket but they also select a few youngsters in whom they see a lot of potential. It’s a fantastic franchise to be a part of. 

On Rushil Ugarkar stepping up

What I really enjoyed from the start was his attitude. He is a youngster, he wants to bowl in tough situations. He is going to make one or two mistakes as a youngster. When he first got an opportunity at the start of the tournament, the lengths he was bowling were a touch too full. You’re going to have that attitude to take it in and put it into practice. That is where he has been fantastic to work with. A youngster who’s got a bit of talent and listens, he’s moving in the right direction. As a local player, if you’re deaf to information, you aren’t moving forward. He isn’t deaf to that. He’s a winner, wants to bowl in tough situations, is prepared to listen to information from guys who know more than he does, and he is putting it into practice. He bowled really well yesterday (against TSK), bowling into the wind on a tough ground. He has been the find for us. Nicky (Pooran) really trusts him. He’s had one or two tough overs. I think Donovan Ferreira hit him in Texas. He had the opportunity to bowl to him yesterday and had learnt from his past experiences, which is always a positive.

The feeling within the dressing room of making it to the Final

Two, three weeks ago, if you are a betting man and you’d said MINY would be in the final, you would have gotten good money (laughs). This one would be special. I know the owners really want to win this as well. As the coaching staff, you just want to support the players and hope they go all the way. The expectation of winning trophies on our team is big. We’ve put ourselves in another opportunity to do that, which is a tick in our box. Would be the icing on the cake and it would be special for the whole group. 

On facing the Washington Freedom in the final

I think we are battle hardened. We have been playing knockout cricket for the past two weeks, which I don’t think Freedom have done. They have cruised into the playoffs. They didn’t have their Qualifier. You can look at a team’s strengths, but in a final, it counts for nothing. We believe we have bowlers who can pick up wickets in the first couple of overs like we showed yesterday. It’s about who rocks up on the day. There is the self-belief that we have done unbelievably well to get here to the final. A lot of people had written us off. We are not playing with any fear. We are excited. Other teams might come in and not have the pressure we’ve had so there might be a bit of nerves around going for them. That is where we can release our shackles a bit. Getting to the finals, the job is done really when you give yourselves the opportunity to win the trophy. We’ve really enjoyed the challenge. Our players are in a very good space going into the final and the self-belief is second to none. That I see as a plus for us. Washington could come in and show their best game, but we believe we have match-winners as well. It’s a 50-50 game. It’s about what you bring on game day that matters. 

On what MINY has done for USA cricket

I don’t know the entirety of what MI have done for cricket in the USA. That’s the beauty of MI. There is a lot of work that happens behind the scenes. They don’t look for recognition. They are doing it for the right reasons. Not only for MI New York, but the other franchises as well. That’s the beauty about the MI brand. Ultimately we had a conversation with the local players to tell them that this is their space. They need to create their environment here and enjoy it. The internationals come in year after year, if you don’t perform, you go out. But the youngsters would be here. So they need to create the environment. A lot of kudos have to go to them as well. They have really stepped up. The MI brand has supported them. They have enjoyed it. We had a few celebratory drinks last night and we had the whole squad. It was fantastic to see the guys were emotional. It means a lot to them. I can see the enjoyment on their faces.