New Delhi: Former Australia opener and current Pakistan batting coach Matthew Hayden says he was in a ‘dogfight situation’ in Dubai on Sunday (October 24). Leadership will be crucial in the much-awaited India-Pakistan T20 World Cup 2021. Terming the match as a real battle, Hayden who is working as a batting consultant with the Pakistan team, the margin for error in the big match will be very less so leadership will be the key to the outcome of the match.
Hayden cited the examples of MS Dhoni and Eoin Morgan, who led their respective IPL franchises with success, when their own individual performances were not at the expected level.
Hayden told the media, “His individual performance was not as good as he had done earlier according to his statistics records, but the way he led his team players and conducted himself, he helped UAE Played an important role in the teams reaching the IPL final under the circumstances.
“I think leadership will be crucial in the coming matches because the situation in the UAE leaves little room for error and there are dogfight situations there,” he said.
Hayden said that Pakistan captain Babar Azam will have to play a key role in the match as a leader and a premium batsman.
Hayden said, “There will be extra pressure on him as captain and as a batsman because he will be targeted. Babar also has the captaincy of the team and he needs to fulfill that role in terms of batting.
Hayden also observed that after watching Indian cricket very closely over the years, he believed that KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were the biggest threats to Pakistan in the match.
More or less I have seen KL Rahul grow and he is a big threat to Pakistan. I have seen him grow up as a boy. I have seen his struggle and his dominance in the shorter formats.
Hayden said, “I have seen a cricketer like Rishabh Pant, how with his flamboyant nature and aggressive batting, he has destroyed the bowling attack because he got the opportunity.”
The former Australian opener also said that after seeing the various elements of the game and being a part of it, he can say that nothing matches the rivalry between Pakistan and India.
“Obviously the Ashes and the matches against England are top-notch for an Australian but nothing matches the rivalry between these two teams,” he said.
Hayden said that Pakistan has some amazing players who will show their best on match day. He described Babar, Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman as important players of Pakistan.
Asked about his short-term role as a consultant with the Pakistan team, Hayden said that his main aim was to bring peace and control and bring players into the game as the World Cup is challenging.
“I’ve learned that for whatever reason you’re always under pressure, you don’t need to put extra pressure on the demands of the game,” Hayden said.
(with agency input)