Full stadium, political tensions and rivalry set the stage for T20 World Cup showdown
Naqvi meets Pakistan players ahead of high-stakes World Cup clash with India PHOTO: PCB
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the national team players and management on Sunday ahead of the high-stakes T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo.
The match, the most profitable spectacle in world cricket, has sold out Colombo’s 35,000-capacity R. Premadasa Stadium, and hundreds of millions more are expected to watch on television around the world. It almost didn’t happen.
Pakistan had earlier announced that it would boycott the match, in protest of Bangladesh’s elimination from the sporting event. However, on Monday night, the government ordered the team to take the field on February 15, saying the decision was made to “protect the spirit of cricket.”
With bilateral cricket a victim of strained ties, emotions run high every time the neighbors come together in multi-team tournaments at neutral venues.
During Naqvi’s meeting with the players, professional issues and the team’s performance were discussed. He encouraged the squad and praised their commitment and determination, expressing his best wishes.
In attendance were captain Salman Agha, head coach Mike Hesson, coach Naveed Akram Cheema and all the players and coaching staff.
Naqvi also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, following which it was decided that he would visit Sri Lanka to deliver a special message from the Prime Minister to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Sri Lankan leader had urged Pakistan to play the match during a conversation with Sharif, recalling Pakistan’s past solidarity with Sri Lankan cricket during difficult times.
The tensions surrounding the contest have deep roots. Strictly on merit, however, the rivalry has been one-sided in recent years.
Defending champions India are 7-1 against Pakistan in tournament history and reinforced that dominance at last year’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, beating Pakistan three times in one event, including a stormy final marked by provocative gestures and snub handshakes.
Salman said on Saturday that his team had been “always ready” to face India despite being cleared just a few days ago.
“This is a very big game and the magnitude is enormous,” he said before practice at the stadium. “We were always prepared for the game, whatever the decision.”
Pakistan opened with a tough three-wicket victory over the Netherlands and then beat the United States by 32 runs.
Read: Mohsin Naqvi briefs PM Shehbaz on Islamabad national security
“We are in a good moment and I hope that being in Colombo from the beginning will help us in terms of conditions,” Salman said.
Rain is forecast for Sunday night, which could impact the game.
The captain expects spin to dominate and called bowler Usman Tariq his trump card against India’s powerful batting line-up.
“Usman has been bowling well and I am sure the element of mystery will make him our trump card,” Salman said, dismissing doubts over the legality of the bowler’s action with his arm in a sling and pausing in his step. “He has been acquitted twice, so there are no worries.”
Salman also expressed hope that the players would shake hands, unlike what happened in the Asia Cup.
“The game must be played in the true spirit of the game,” he said. “It’s been the norm in cricket for years, but whatever way they want it, we’ll only know tomorrow.”
Both teams won their first two group matches, meaning Sunday’s winner will clinch a spot in the Super Eights.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the magnitude of the clash.
“It’s a great platform, obviously,” he told reporters. “No matter how much you say it’s just another game, it’s an important game.
“We don’t play them often, we don’t even play them regularly. But at the end of the day, we try to keep things simple and execute our best game.”
“There is pressure, but there is a great opportunity. In my opinion, when you play a match between India and Pakistan, the important thing is the occasion.”
Read more: ICC invites key Asian stakeholders to Pakistan-India T20 clash on February 15 for talks to ‘melt ice’: report
He said opener Abhishek Sharma had recovered from a stomach virus and would likely play after batting in the nets on Saturday.
Yadav also downplayed the hype around Usman’s bowling action.
“We have practiced with similar types of bowlers and similar actions, so we will try to execute what we are practicing in the night sessions,” he said.
When asked if the players would shake hands, he replied: “Tomorrow I will break the suspense. Wait 24 hours, let’s play the game that is most important.”
Last September, India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup, their first meeting since a military conflict in May. Tensions later escalated when the Indian players left without shaking hands, sparking outrage in Pakistan. The PCB lodged a protest and Salman boycotted the post-match press functions. Yadav further fueled tensions with political comments.
Following the incident, the PCB demanded the dismissal of Asian Cup match referee Andy Pycroft. In a letter to the ICC and Marylebone Cricket Club, the board warned it would reconsider continuing in the tournament if Pycroft was not eliminated.
