What Is The Impetus For Pakistan's Winning Streak at T20 World Cup? New Leadership? New Coaches?

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan cricket team has won all four of the group matches it has played so far in the T20 World Cup being played in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan currently sits on top of the points table with 8 points in Group 2.  Pakistan's only remaining match is with the team from Scotland which has lost all 3 matches it has played so far.  There is no doubt about the top talent in the Pakistani team but their performance at the T20 World Cup is extraordinary. So what accounts for it? What has changed recently within the team? Do Pakistanis have a chip on their shoulder and they are out to prove themselves? Are the new world-class coaches helping them?  

Pakistan's Coches Mathew Hayden (L), Vernon Philander

One possible explanation is that Pakistanis have a chip on their soldier. They are out to prove themselves after having been shunned by teams like England, New Zealand and India. Another more likely explanation that I find more appealing is the change of leadership of Pakistan Cricket Board and the hiring of world class coaches. 

Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed ex cricketer and cricket commentator Ramiz Raja as the new head of Pakistan Cricket Board in September 2021. This appointment triggered the walkout of head coach Misbah ul Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis. 

Misbah's and Waqar's decision to quit created an opportunity for Ramiz to bring in a new coaching team of his choice. Ramiz chose British-Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq as the new head coach, brought in world-class Australian batsman Mathew Hayden as the batting coach, and  South African seamer Vernon Philander as the bowling coach. 

Pakistan's Winningest T20 Team. Source: ESPN

Here's how Ramiz Raja described Mathew Hayden: "The Australian can bring some aggression into the team. He has experience of World Cups and was a world-class player himself. Having an Australian in the dressing room will be of great benefit for us."

On Philander, Raja said, "I know him well, he understands the nuances of bowling and he has a great record in Australia."

These changes were clearly risky just before a major tournament but seem to have worked out well for the Pakistani side. Pakistan has already made it to the T20 World Cup semifinals, and is now considered among the favorites to win the World Cup this year. 

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[Riaz Haq]

From Indian Sports Analyst Joy Bhattacharjya
@joybhattacharj
A former captain who led Pakistan to a Champions Trophy just 4 years ago is happy to run in with drinks & advice as a reserve on this current Pakistan team. That's a testament to both Sarfaraz Ahmed's character and the spirit with which this current squad is playing.

https://twitter.com/joybhattacharj/status/1455578677320634370?s=20

[Riaz Haq]

Decorative bamboo screens enclose the Zero Carbon Cultural Centre, a giant pavilion in Makli built by local people together with architect Yasmeen Lari's Heritage Foundation of Pakistan organisation.

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/11/05/zero-carbon-cultural-centre-prefa...

The Zero Carbon Cultural Centre serves as a community centre and social space for people living in poor and marginalised communities in the town, which is located in southern Pakistan.

It was designed by the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan specifically to host hands-on workshops for locals to strengthen their skills and help them live better-quality lives.

The Zero Carbon Cultural Centre is being showcased today as part of Lari's guest editorship for Dezeen 15 – an online festival celebrating Dezeen's fifteenth birthday.

As part of the event, Lari, who is the co-founder of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, will present her manifesto for "a humanistic, inclusive architecture that is driven by environmental considerations" in a live interview with Dezeen's editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs.

According to the architect, the centre is the biggest bamboo structure in Pakistan and one of the largest in the world.

It was completed in 2017 on a 1.6-hectare site, chosen for its proximity to the poor communities in the shadow of the Makli Necropolis – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to clusters of ancient funerary monuments.

The pavilion takes the form of a large hangar, topped by a large thatched roof and surrounded by decorative bamboo screens. It measures 27 metres in length and is 18 metres wide, and at its highest point it reaches 11 metres.

Its design was developed by ​​the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan to embody Lari's philosophy of "barefoot social architecture" (BASA).

The goal of BASA is to uplift impoverished communities without impacting the planet. This involves creating structures with local materials that are low-carbon and low-cost, as opposed to expensive materials such as concrete and steel.

In this case, the pavilion makes use of bamboo, a type of fast-growing grass, which was sourced from within southern Pakistan.

Bamboo was chosen as it is both renewable and highly durable. It also allowed the organisation to work with local artisans who are adept at using the material, and local people who wanted to learn how to build with it.

The pavilion is composed of large prefabricated bamboo panels, measuring eight metres in height and 1.5 metres in width.

Prefabrication ensured a quick construction process and optimum quality control, as each panel was made under supervision in a workshop. It was complete in just 10 weeks.

"The resulting structure carried the sweat and pride of the local surrounding community and has become a source of great pride due to its size and unique characteristics," Lari told Dezeen.

The final open structure of the pavilion, combined with its thatched roof, ensures that the space remains cool and usable throughout hot summers without air conditioning.

Its open layout also caters for a variety of uses. In line with the objectives of BASA, it is used to teach local people how to make a variety of products with local materials, including terracotta tiles, smokeless stoves from mud and lime and compostable toilets.

Alongside workshops, it is also used for performances, lectures and conferences.

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan good all-round team, #BabarAzam a superstar, says #Australia coach Justin Langer ahead of the #T20WorldCup21 Australia-Pakistan #semifinal scheduled for November 11 in #Dubai. https://www.dawn.com/news/1656515

Australia coach Justin Langer has praised the Pakistan cricket team as they prepare for a potential semi-final showdown with the Green Shirts at the Twenty20 World Cup this week.

Pakistan have been the dominant force in Group 2, winning all four of the matches to date, and Langer looks forward to the clash in Dubai.

Commenting on the Pakistan side, he said: “They've got a good all-round team, like we have, and they're well led."

The Australian coach also had words of praise for skipper Babar Azam and told reporters he looks forward to the clash in Dubai.

“Their captain, Babar Azam, is a superstar of the game. They've some good pace bowlers and they've a couple of good spinners, so they're a well-balanced side like we are, so it should be a great game of cricket.”

Langer's team booked their place in the last four on Saturday as David Warner's unbeaten 89 steered the Australians to an eight-wicket win over the West Indies that secured a second spot in Group 1 of the competition's Super 12 phase.

Langer believes his team can re-establish themselves as the best in the world. “Not that long ago we were the best team in the world and some of that cricket shows we can be the best team in the world,” Langer told reporters.

“I think England are leading the way at the moment and we've got exciting prospects.

“We're taking great lessons from this tournament on how we can continue to play T20 cricket now, for this tournament, and moving forward.”

The Australians made a strong start in the competition before suffering a heavy eight-wicket defeat against England that left the Aaron Finch-captained side uncertain about their place in the knockout rounds.

But comprehensive wins over Bangladesh and the West Indies ended those doubts and the Australians are likely to face Pakistan, who lead Group 2 with their final match against Scotland to be played on Sunday, in Thursday's semi-finals.


“It was brilliant again last night, I think our last few games have been outstanding cricket,” said Langer.

“The boys have really stepped up. It was quite a sobering experience against England. We knew we had to do some work and the way the boys responded to that has been brilliant, so it's nice to be in the semi-final.

“You can't win it unless you're in the semi-final. It's nice to be sitting here, knowing we're in a semi-final on Thursday.”

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan tops the list of “most wins” in #T20I cricket matches played since 2005. #PAKVSAUS #T20WorldCup21

https://twitter.com/haqsmusings/status/1457733635440721925?s=20