Mascarenhas: Follow my example

by S M March 31, 2009

"That's just the game of cricket," said Dimitri Mascarenhas. "Chris Gayle is an amazing player as he showed again yesterday and I was fortunate enough not to have to bowl to him.

"I just keep trying to do what I do best, put the ball on the spot, change the pace a little bit and hopefully pick up a few wickets and not go for many runs.

"One day you can go for a few and the next day you can get three for 20, that's just how it is. To be honest, I didn't actually do anything different in the two games.

"If you haven't already been hit for 24 or 30 in an over or whatever it is, at some stage in your career you're going to get hit for that - that's just what happens as a bowler.

"I don't think too many guys really get down about going for a few runs. It's going to happen and you're going to come out better for it anyway."

"It was a pretty humiliating loss (on Friday), we got absolutely pumped," admitted Mascarenhas. "As professional sportsmen no one ever wants to lose, we're desperate to win every game and to lose like that is pretty embarrassing.

"Everyone was very happy at turning it around in a huge way, it was a pretty convincing win. We've shown what we can do, we've just got to keep repeating that.

"It hasn't been the best of winters for the England cricket team as yet, but we've got a really huge chance next Friday to turn that right around and come away with a series win in the West Indies which would be a great effort."

"We've got four or five days now to get our heads around what's required in the next game," added Mascarenhas.

"There might be different conditions and all those sorts of things are a factor, but we'll go into that game with a lot of confidence knowing we're up and we can beat these guys.

"If we play our game we can beat them, but we need to play our game - we can't play anybody else's. If we play to our strengths we can go out there and beat the West Indies on their home turf."