When Shadab Khan told batting consultant Matthew Hayden: ‘Welcome to Pakan cricket’

Pakan mentor Matthew Hayden said it has been a rollercoaster ride for the Babar Azam-led team in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Pakan were on the cusp of exit before South Africa crashed out of the tournament following a stunning loss to the Netherlands in Adelaide, allowing Pakan to slip into the semifinals. Pakan beat Bangladesh five wickets, also at the Adelaide Oval.
Hayden narrated an interesting conversation from the Pakan dugout during their last Super 12 match against Bangladesh.
“Shadad actually said a very significant thing in the dugout the other day when we were playing our last match against Bangladesh, he said ‘welcome to Pakan cricket,’ Hayden told reporters.
“Meaning that on any given day, anything can happen. And on that particular day when the Netherlands beat South Africa, it was a significant moment for us in the tournament and a very very significant for the team in general. Lot’s of prayers helped us 232 million people can’t be wrong. The result has uplifted the tempo in our group,” he added.

Team 🇵🇰 arrives in Sydney ✅🛬#WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/LjIu1Hy1Mv
— Pakan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 7, 2022
Hayden also backed struggling captain Babar Azam to produce something special in the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup. Babar has managed only 39 runs in five innings so far in the tournament.
“Don’t be surprised whatsoever if you see some fireworks because very special players don’t often stay down for long,” Hayden said.
“Babar has been under some adversity, but that will only make him a greater player …. you can’t keep punching out hundreds and fifties and strike-rates of 140 plus, there’s got to be a lull.
“As with the weather, when there’s a lull, there’s often a storm that follows. So look out the rest of the world because I think you’re about to see something very special.”
Hayden compared the form of Babar and Rizwan to Adam Gilchr’s lean patch during the 2007 ODI World Cup, and then he went on to score a century in the final against Sri Lanka
“If I can take your minds to the different world cup and that was in 2007, where Adam Gilchr, from his standard, had quite a lean World Cup in the undefeated campaign of Australia. And if you remember the last match against Sri Lanka, he went on to score an incredible hundred and made the world realise why he is such a premium batter in that format,” he said.
Hayden particularly picked out Mohammad Haris, who came into the Pakan team as a mid-tournament injury replacement and has scored 59 runs in two innings.
“One of the things about this kind of tournament is that pretty much the entire cricketing community is fatigued to some degree,” Hayden added.
“So to have a young, fresh face with nothing to lose, nothing really to gain, but just play with great freedom has been a wonderful expression for him personally but also for team Pakan.”

Hayden thought the additional prospect of pacemen Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim and Haris Rauf firing at the Sydney Cricket Ground gave Pakan every chance of getting to the final, despite their poor start to the tournament.
“It has been a rollercoaster ride but I wouldn’t have it any other way because the last World Cup we went into the semi-final undefeated and Australia pipped us,” Hayden said.
“I really believe we have yet to play our best game, which is a huge threat to opposition.
“The way the middle order has stepped up to the plate has been excellent and those fast bowlers, man, there’s four of them and they come at great pace.”
Pakan will take on New Zealand in the first semifinal in Sydney.