Andy Flower: 'I'd like Rizwan and Masood to develop their partnership a bit more'
The Multan Sultans head coach explains why his team has been so successful, and the talent of the 20-year-old Ihsanullah
I wish we had been invincible. We've had a lot of good results. We played some really strong cricket and we're all really proud of that. I think some of the factors that go into it are, number one, the strong drive and support from the top - from the owner, Alamgir Tareen, [who] is very keen on us to challenging convention and using the information as wisely as possible. I think one of his favorite book and theories is stemmed from the Moneyball book. Certainly, when we began working together, we had Nathan Leamon, the ex-England analyst, who was working with us and particularly driving things from an information point of view.
A strategy for people to work from is important and giving people structure to work from is important. But managing the individual players is equally or more important. Also, bringing the team together, making them feel as if they are coming together for something special. I think that's also important from a motivational and team dynamic point of view.
Each franchise tournament and each country has a different feel. That's one of the really nice things about coaching around the franchise world - you're experiencing different cultures, not only from a national perspective but also cricketing cultures. Pakistan cricket has its own thing, particularly around fast bowling and wristspin, which makes it a really exciting cricketing environment.
I think egos amongst sports stars - that is not particular to Pakistan. You get that wherever you go. I think some countries, like New Zealand, are very good at keeping that sort of fame and exposure in perspective. Here, in Pakistan, some of their stars are rightly lauded. But a really good example of stars keeping their feet firmly on the ground is our captain, Mohammad Rizwan. You know, he's a really strong leader. He's a strong man. He's got very strong and principled views. He obviously has a very strong faith, but he's also been hugely successful as an international sportsperson.
"We've played six games and won four. That puts us in a good position to qualify, so the first step is to make the playoffs. The second step is getting in the top two because it gives you a better run into the final"
I think his faith and his and his humility keep him at a very solid foundation from which to work. But from a sporting point of view, and particularly white-ball cricket, I think once you establish a successful batting formula in your head, you know the type of cricket you need to play to be successful. He's repeating a similar formula all the time and that gives him a real consistency about what he does. Which is good for him and for whatever team he plays for. I think he's put in a lot of thought, practice, trial and error. In his younger days, I saw him when he was playing for Pakistan A against England Lions. I think from paying attention to what he's done and from developing his game, he's worked out a formula that works really well in white-ball cricket.
I've worked with some really great captains over the years and Rizwan, I find, is an excellent leader. He's got strength and positivity, which means that people will follow him. He thinks he has clear views on the game. I like debating cricket with him, debating selections or strategy, but he has very clear views and the courage about the way he plays, something that makes him a leader other people want to follow. They see that he's not afraid to challenge the opposition, to take on particular situations, to lose.
No, definitely not. I think part of being in a healthily functioning team is being okay with disagreeing and then still coming up with a solution and on a way forward.
I don't think it has to be an either-or, like you're either a dominant captain or you're a completely passive captain. There's always a middle ground to be found. But certainly in cricket, a captain plays a vital role because he's making so many decisions all the time and not just the decisions on the field. He's also a very important part of the leadership group off the field and a very important link between the coaching staff and the players. I think if in the national set-up, the captain is being encouraged to take charge and make decisions and formulate strategy, that's a really healthy thing.
Data can get in the way, can slow people down, can create confusion, so how data is interpreted is very important. But how and when you use that information with the players is also vitally important. It can turn some players off and it can be motivational for others. It can provide really interesting starting points to talk about cricket and also give black-and-white feedback to cricketers about how X, Y or Z might be happening and why it might be happening. Data has its place, but it's how it's used that's important.
He's definitely the real deal and is in the strongest condition I've seen [him in] in T20 cricket this year. I'd be surprised if he doesn't have a very strong finish to this competition. He and Rizwan have formed a very consistent and powerful partnership, and they give us great foundations from which to work. I'd like them both to still develop their partnership whereby one dominates the bowling and really puts the bowling under pressure when the other one is struggling a little.
There's a lot of high-quality fast bowling that happens here, which makes it really exciting. But there's also some exciting wristspin in the PSL. The combination makes it a super exciting tournament to be part of and for the spectators to watch. We all like seeing inswinging yorkers or reverse swing or bouncers, big back-of-the-hand slower balls. Attacking fast bowling definitely makes this league stand out of any.
"I think part of being in a healthily functioning team is being okay with disagreeing and then still coming up with a solution and on a way forward"
I don't think anyone really expected him to do so brilliantly in his first six games in this season's PSL. He got a couple of chances last year and he did really well. He showed real potential, real pace. He was working on his run-up with Ottis Gibson, who was our fast-bowling coach last year.
I didn't come here with a very clear expectation of what we might achieve. Actually, we've achieved nothing yet. We've played six games and won four. That puts us in a good position to qualify, but we aren't qualified yet. So the first step is to make the playoffs. The second step is getting in the top two because it gives you a better run into the final.
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent