Pakistan coach stays positive despite Edgbaston loss to India

Pakistan coach Wahab Riaz has asked for patience as his team adapts to his coaching style at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

Wahab has only been in charge of Pakistan since the start of the year and the former left-arm pacer has already made a big difference to how the side approaches their cricket in the shortest format.

There were glimpses of this new attacking style during Pakistan's loss to India at the T20 World Cup in Birmingham on Sunday, with the side showing signs of maturity as they dominated parts of the match only to be let down by concentration lapses that allowed their arch-rival to prevail.

But Wahib has remained steadfast in his approach and believes positive results will come if his side continues to adapt and play the type of cricket he wants across the remainder of the T20 World Cup.

"We just took over like in last four months. We have took over this Pakistan cricket team and you cannot make a lot of changes into the way they have been playing and to change the way the pattern of the way they were playing before and now. So obviously it will take some time," Wahab reflected after Pakistan's 64-run loss to India.

"The good thing is that what we want to do is that we want to compete to the international strategies where you need to score more runs in the Powerplay. You need to score 170 at least to be in the game and you have to maintain that thing going on. 

"The message is very clear that we need to play like that. We need to play positive cricket. We need to play fearless cricket. And obviously in this span of time, like four months, nothing can change drastically. 

"But I think again, the way the girls have been putting a lot of effort into it, and we are seeing the glimpse in different series we have played, bilateral series and the games. So there are some positives, but we need to finish well. I think the problem where we are doing is that we are not finishing the games well, and I think we will get hold of it and we will do well in the games."

Pakistan made a great start to the match against India as Sadia Iqbal (2/41) dismissed the dangerous Shafali Verma in the very first over of the clash, before experienced No.3 Jemimah Rodrigues was sent packing shortly after to give the side the ascendancy.

It was a similar story with the bat as openers Muneeba Ali (41) and Gull Feroza (12) put on 38 for the opening wicket, with India's depth inside the playing XI eventually proving the difference between the two sides as Pakistan failed to maintain their strong stars with both bat and ball.

Pakistan will get the chance to atone for their first-up loss to India when they take on South Africa at Edgbaston on Wednesday and Wahab says nothing changes in his approach and the team will be chasing a victory against a talented Proteas' outfit.

"There are some glimpse of positiveness, and we will take that. We know it is always going to be a game of nerves, and I think we are working hard on it. And they have been trying their level best, and you win one, you lose one. Unfortunately, we were on the losing side today," Wahab said.

"I think we are here to win. I think we just need to make less mistakes and we just have to believe in ourselves. We have to play more positive cricket, more fearless cricket. I think that's what it is. It's a T20 game. There are no favorites in this game. The day you play well, the phases you play well, you do well."