Karachi:
It is once again, since Pakistan faces India today, and the world’s approach is about to change everything else to the Cricket Dubai stadium for the High Octane champion trophy clash.
So how will this be this time? Who will win and who will lose? Any prediction?
“Do not dare to speculate” will be invariably the response of the wisest critics and knowledgeable fans, and for a good reason.
The nature of the competitions between the two Asian Cricket giants has a random rhythm, unpredictable, with steep channels and ridges, which continues to keep the two governments, Cricket administrators, players and fans on the edge, always.
So, be what happened in the past between the two teams, how Pakistan’s pictures for the mega event and the surprising winning streak of India in Odi, Babar and Shaheen’s Shoddy Workingship and Gill and the return and the return of Shami Heroics, the amazing statistics and the amazing calculations, the scandalous theories and the prophecies disconcerting and all logic are reduced to nothing today as everything is flooded by the ocean of emotions that immerse the demarcated limits between a sports field and a battlefield.
In the best case, the nature of the clash of Marquesinas of today could, perhaps, compare with the famous paradox of the British philosopher Bertrand Russell: “Consider a set that contains all the sets that are not contained.”
Although in the last decades, Pakistan has acquired the reputation of being “mercurial” and “unpredictable” that undoubtedly adds a pinch of romance to his cryket, critics feel that they are now becoming victims of such stereotypes.
To put it succinctly, they have been playing with a diabolical game plan or none at all. The electrifying body language that won hearts and matches in the Champions Trophy 2017 has completely lacked. The shoulders have fallen too soon and the players have appeared tired; Desperate for victory it can be, but it certainly is not hungry.
The hard truth is that they have been guilty of playing an thoughtless and non -professional cryket during the last 10 days, especially against New Zealand, losing three games in the trot with only a strange and unlikely victory against proteins that save them the blonders for them .
That said, Mohammad Rizwan and his men will surely take the heart of Bangladesh’s great struggle against Rohit Sharma’s men in Thursday’s game. From being in the landfills of 35 by 5, they roared like the Royal Bengal Tiger to publish a very decent 228 at the end.
As for India, they have a very established side, with a batting alignment full of stars and a versatile bowling attack in Shami and the three spinners. His outgoing of England formidable at home in the Champions Trophy accumulations series will also be a great moral-booster for them while they go out to the field today.
But, of course, they will distrust the 3-2 record of Pakistan in the ICC champions trophy against them, as well as the adrenaline of the Green team, given the intensity of the competition with the arch-rivals, which could turn on the game their head In a matter of few overs.
