These may appear insignificant incidents but they convey quite a bit about
how this bunch managed to stay cool when the roof had blown off. Over the
last week, of the seven teams that visited Jaipur, it's been Pakistan who
have, ironically, appeared most relaxed. People spotted them in
restaurants, movie halls and tourist sites. It was a side that appeared to
be thoroughly at home with their surroundings, thriving amid the fans and
banter.

Younis spoke passionately about the period, adding that it had no doubt
helped alleviate the pressure. "We've had a lot of fun over the last
week," he said at the end of a thoroughly satisfactory day. "We played
hard cricket, practised hard and had some competitive games amongst
ourselves. What I couldn't do as a youngster, I wanted my boys to do. I
encouraged them to see movies, to have fun. We missed Inzamam a lot and
spoke a lot about him, about his captaincy and his professionalism. But we
wanted to forget the pressures. One day before the game we got another jolt
but I always felt the boys were fit and wanted to play good cricket. For
me, before this game, winning or losing wasn't important, all I wanted
them to do was to play good cricket. And we did."

And good cricket they played. A packed house of neutrals rejoiced in
Pakistan's fightback with the ball before cheering every run in their
run-chase. Their very unpredictability, their sheer bloody-minded
bounce-back ability, was a joy to watch. Just when the tension reached the
highpoint, they found in Abdul Razzaq a matchwinner who sliced through it
like a Rajasthani sword through silk. The standing ovation they granted
Pakistan after the triumph was in direct contrast to the afternoon's
events when the Shiv Saniks, a Hindu fundamentalist organisation, held
banners asking Pakistan to 'Go home'.

Younis Khan didn't make much of a contribution with the bat but his cool
countenance no doubt proved crucial. "There was definitely a bit of
pressure," he said, "but I don't normally put myself under pressure. Of
course, if we'd lost people would have got a chance to say things against
us. But the boys stood together, even though they were under pressure. I
was asked at the toss if I'd slept OK and honestly I slept very well.
Whatever pressure was there, it didn't affect my sleep."

Over the last few years, Inzamam-ul-Haq's monk-like cool, with an emphasis
on religion, has played a vital part in keeping the side together. It came
as no surprise when the side got together for a namaaz after the
game, thanking the God almighty for this fine win. Younis mentioned the
importance of faith, he added that their religious beliefs always kept
them strong. He didn't mention it but sometimes you wonder what this team
would do if controversies decide to take a back seat. The more the
trouble, more the joy.

The Pakistanis have usually played well with their backs to the wall, one cannot say that the lankans played poorly; had it not been for the barrage of boundries from Razzak, One would fancy the Lankans to win especially after Yousuf, akmal and Afridi fell in quick order.

While there has been talk about the performance of the team being affected by their embrace of faith at a deeper level. I'd just like to throw a thought out there: that in Islamic faith, success is not considered a blessing. It is a trial.

If it were a blessing, all religious people would be rich and successful and Atheists would be poor and wretched. This is clearly not the case.

I hope that with faith, there comes a sense of humbleness and modesty. Something the Pakistanis have lacked in the past, and thus when they fell, they fell hard...However faith as a byproduct has brought some sense of unity in the team the effects of which may be noticable.

As long as the Pakistani's remember to thank the one who gave them success; one thinks they are enduring the trial rather well.