Yes, matches are ultimately won on confidence, instincts, skill and mental toughness. But that doesn't mean that data doesn't enhance your understanding of it or give you a deeper understanding of your opponents and their strengths and weaknesses. And if you have the right players in your side, you naturally have a higher probability of succeeding. Data is already playing an outsized role in cricket so for anyone to deny its importance is frankly, quite dumb. As for Hassan Cheema, I have been reading him for years and he seems to understand cricket much better than many of our greedy, attention-seeking ex-players who have been gate-keeping these job roles for years.