A sold-out stadium, political tensions and rivalries set the stage for the 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 on Sunday met the players and management of the national team ahead of the high-stakes T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo.
The match – the highest-grossing spectacle in world cricket – has filled Colombo’s 35,000-capacity R. Premadasa Stadium, with hundreds of millions more expected to watch on television around the world. This almost didn’t happen.
Pakistan had earlier announced that it would boycott the match, in protest against Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the sporting event. However, on Monday evening, the government ordered the team to take the field on February 15, saying the decision was taken to “protect the spirit of cricket”.
With bilateral cricket a victim of strained relations, emotions run high every time the neighbors meet in multi-team tournaments at neutral venues.
During Naqvi’s meeting with the players, professional matters and team performance were discussed. He encouraged the team and praised their commitment and determination, expressing his best wishes.
Captain Salman Agha, head coach Mike Hesson, manager Naveed Akram Cheema and all the players and coaching staff were present.
Naqvi also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after which it was decided that he would visit Sri Lanka to convey 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 in difficult times.
The tensions surrounding the competition have deep roots. However, strictly on merit, the rivalry has become one-sided in recent years.
Defending champions India have a 7-1 record 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 a single Test, including a heated finale marked by provocative gestures and snubbed handshakes.
Salman said on Saturday that his team had been “always ready” to face India despite receiving clearance only days ago.
“It’s a very big match and the scale of it is enormous,” he said before training at the stadium. “We were always ready for the game, whatever the decision.”
Pakistan opened with a scrappy last-gasp three-wicket win over the Netherlands and then beat the United States by 32 runs.
Read: Mohsin Naqvi briefs PM Shehbaz on national security and Islamabad
“We are on a good momentum and I hope being in Colombo from the beginning will help us in terms of conditions,” Salman said.
Rain is forecast for Sunday evening, which could affect play.
The skipper expects spin to dominate and called off-spinner Usman Tariq his trump card against India’s powerful batting line-up.
“Usman bowled well and I am sure the mystery element will make him our trump card,” Salman said, dismissing doubts over the legality of the sling bowler’s action and stopping in his tracks. “He’s been cleared twice so there’s no worries.”
Salman also expressed hope that the players would shake hands, unlike 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 they want, we won’t know until tomorrow.”
Both teams won their first two group matches, meaning Sunday’s winner will secure a place in the Super Eights.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the magnitude of the clash.
“It’s obviously a big platform,” he told reporters. “Even if you say it’s just another game, it’s a great 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 it simple and execute our best game.
“There is pressure, but there is a big opportunity. In my opinion, when you play an India-Pakistan match, it is more about opportunity.”
Learn more: ICC invites key Asian stakeholders to Pak-India clash on February 15 for talks to ‘melt the ice’: report
He said opener Abhishek Sharma had recovered from a stomach ailment and was likely to play after hitting the nets on Saturday.
Yadav also downplayed the hype around Usman’s bowling action.
“We have trained with similar types of bowlers and similar actions, so we will try to execute what we practice in the night sessions,” he said.
Asked if the players would shake hands, he replied: “I will break the suspense tomorrow. 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 subsequently rose when the Indian players left without shaking hands, sparking outrage in Pakistan. The PCB lodged a protest and Salman boycotted the post-match media functions. Yadav further fueled tensions with political remarks.
Following the incident, the PCB demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup. In a letter to the ICC and Marylebone Cricket Club, the board warned it would reconsider continuing the tournament if Pycroft was not dismissed.
