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New Delhi: Oman need to find a way to work smart to excel in the T20 World Cup, feels Mohammad Nadeem in what will be his final appearance in the global tournament.

The 43-year-old Nadeem is the second oldest player after team-mate Aamir Kaleem (44) on the showpiece event that begins on February 7.

“The biggest challenge is maintaining performance while protecting your body. At this stage, recovery is slow and smart work is actually more important than hard work,” Nadeem told Reuters.

“You know what your body demands, what you can do, what you cannot do. So we have small sessions and we don’t go for big ones and save our energy for the matches, so we can have a better result.”

Having made his international debut in 2015, it will be Nadeem’s third and final appearance in the T20 World Cup though he wants to carry on playing in the 50-over format.

“It all depends on the (Omani) board’s call but I believe this will be my last World Cup, and last T20 tournament,” Nadeem said.

“If they want to have me for 50-overs, it’s their call. But if it’s T20, I will say goodbye in this World Cup.”

The middle-order batter and seam bowler, Nadeem looks up to James Anderson for inspiration on longetivity, as the former England seamer played in Tests till the age of 41 in 2024.

“I always say if he could play in test cricket at this age, then why can’t I? Because 90% of our cricket is at the associate level, so why can I not survive at the associate level? Jimmy is my inspiration,” he said.

Oman begin their campaign against Zimbabwe on February 9 and are placed in Group B where they will also face Australia and Sri Lanka, Nadeem looks forward to facing the former champions.

“Australia, along with India, are right now the two best teams in the world. Playing against the top sides means a lot of learning, and we will get to know how to play competitive cricket (at the top level),” he said.