T20 World Cup 2021 | Leadership will play a key role in India-Pakistan clash, feels Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden, who is currently serving as Pakistan’s batting consultant at the 2021 T20 World Cup, marveled at the historic rivalry between India and Pakistan. Ahead of the teams’ face-off in Dubai on Sunday, October 24, Hayden believed that leadership could play a key role in its outcome.
India and Pakistan, who triumphed at the first two editions of the T20 World Cup, will begin their 2021 campaign against each other in a Super 12s clash in Dubai on Sunday, October 24. Much like ODI World Cups, India enjoys a 100 percent success rate against their sub-continent rivals in the T20 version, having won each of the five matches including the 2007 final in Johannesburg.
Matthew Hayden, who has joined the Pakistan team as the batting consultant, spoke about the historic rivalry, and believed that it could boil down to the two captains how they handle pressure and deliver the desired results.
"I would have never thought in my wildest dream that I would be sitting inside the Pakistan dressing room," Hayden said on Thursday. "There is an obvious pressure much like the pressure that's there when you play against England for Australia. But the pressure is only as much as you allow it to be. Your preparation is there, your experience is there, your opportunity now becomes a history-making opportunity.
"We can present all the stats, do all our homework and research, but nothing can replace all the stuff that we all dream about, or coach about and commentate on - which will be the game itself. I can sense that the players are waiting for that opportunity. I can sense that there is a sense of calm about that. It's now the opportunity of playing the game."
He highlighted skipper Babar Azam’s role for Pakistan, citing the examples of World Cup-winning captains MS Dhoni and Eoin Morgan, who led Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders to the final at the recently concluded IPL 2021.
"As you've seen in the IPL, with the two dominant captains - MS Dhoni and Eoin Morgan," he said. "Even though their individual performances weren't as good, (compared to how) they have previously done within their own statistical record, the way they led their troops and conducted themselves, became an important part of UAE.
"One side is not going to run away with the game here. It's a dogfight. The conditions and margins for error will be very little. And so, good leadership will be the key. Babar commands that presence and commands that role. In the batting sense as well, he is the premium player. He will be targeted. He will be the person who every player would want to put in his pockets. There will be pressure on him both as a captain and as a batsman. But I sense that the way he will go about with it will be spot on."
The former Australia opener marked KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the biggest challenge for the 2009 champions.
"More or less I have watched KL Rahul grow and he is a major threat to Pakistan,” Hayden said. “I have watched him grow up as a boy. I have seen his struggles and his dominance in shorter formats. I have seen someone like Rishabh Pant, his brash nature and beautiful vision for the game, how he has destroyed bowling attacks because he has got the opportunity because he sees it that way."
Hayden, who was a part of Australia’s dominant World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007, spoke about the challenges that come with participating at the marquee event.
"World Cups are such a challenging thing,” he reflected. “Playing multiple world cups has been such a part of my life. For some reason, you're always under pressure. You don't need to create environments additional to what the game demands.”
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