We won the ACC Men's Challenger Cup thanks to a team first mentality, says the Saudi cricket captain

 The Saudi national team won the inaugural ACC Men's Challenger Cup in Bangkok thanks to a "team first" mentality, and captain Hisham Sheikh is eager to keep up the excellent work to win even more accolades in the years to come.

Sheikh gave an exclusive interview to Arab News and discussed the elements of creating a championship-winning team after Bahrain defeated them by ten wickets to win the tournament and retain a perfect record of five victories in a row.

The captain thanked the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, the team, the Saudi Olympic Committee, and the Saudi Ministry of Sports for their unwavering support and motivation.

The strategy for the competition was well-defined, and it took a team effort for two to three months, according to Sheikh. "The players were required to report on their exercise routines, gym schedules, and nutrition regimens. The team administration, head coach Mohammed Kabir Khan, and strength and conditioning coach Mohammed Ali Khan were all informed. The players participated in these activities because they were driven and convinced that doing so would improve the team's performance.

Since the beginning, he said the team has had a positive mentality, adding: "There is something called playing cricket with a brave attitude."

Also, during the camp, various match scenarios were practiced.

Before the competition, a week-long camp was held in Riyadh, and the participants came from all over Saudi Arabia, according to Sheikh. "They interacted well with one another through play, and as different match scenarios were prepared, the players gained confidence.

The squad had a great atmosphere throughout the ACC Challenger Cup, and our management, including Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal and CEO Tariq Sagga, visited us during the competition.

According to the captain, their presence provided the team "a sense of belief and determination" to continue and win the competition.

"The game's strategy was quite straightforward: Play the game with the confidence and attitude that you have nothing to lose as if it were your final battle. The boys put their all into every game, our tournament mantra. And it will be the guiding principle for all of the competitions we play in the future," said Shiekh

When we chose to bat first, such as against Burma, we set up a tremendous total of 424 on the board. "The team played as a unit; bowlers did exceptionally well, restricting the opponent team to a low total," he remarked.

Sheikh concluded, "The boys did a pretty wonderful job. "It was challenging to bat on the surface. Thailand's wicket was slow, which was different from Saudi Arabia's. And I was very grateful for our players who participated there.