Sold-out stadium, political tensions and rivalry set stage for T20 World Cup showdown
Naqvi meets Pakistan players ahead of high-stakes World Cup clash with India PHOTO: PCB
The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, met 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, with hundreds of millions more expected to watch on television worldwide. It almost did not happen.
Pakistan had earlier announced it would boycott the fixture, protesting the removal of Bangladesh from the sporting event. Late Monday night, however, the government directed the team to take the field on February 15, saying the decision was taken to “protect the spirit of cricket”.
With bilateral cricket a casualty of strained ties, emotions run high whenever the neighbours meet in multi-team tournaments at neutral venues.
During Naqvi’s meeting with the players, professional matters and the team’s performance were discussed. He encouraged the squad and praised their commitment and determination, expressing his best wishes.
Captain Salman Agha, head coach Mike Hesson, manager Naveed Akram Cheema, and all players and coaching staff attended.
Naqvi also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after which it was decided he would visit Sri Lanka to deliver a special message from the premier 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.
In a video statement, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar also expressed his best wishes to the team ahead of the match.
“Tomorrow is an important Pakistan-India T20 World Cup match. Our team has great potential to deliver their best performance. There is a very good combination of spin and fast bowling, and our batsmen are also world-class.”
He added that the prayers of the entire nation are with the Pakistan cricket team. “We are all very excited to see a good game. The Pakistan cricket team has conducted itself on and off the field in a way that makes the entire nation proud.”
He concluded that may the Pakistan cricket team plant the flags of triumph in Sri Lanka, and we will witness a very good game. “May our team be blessed with a magnificent victory.”
The tensions surrounding the contest have deep roots. Strictly on merit, however, the rivalry has been one-sided in recent years.
Defending champions India hold a 7-1 record against Pakistan in the tournament’s history and reinforced that dominance at last year’s Asia Cup in the UAE, beating Pakistan three times in one event, including a stormy final marked by provocative gestures and snubbed handshakes.
Salman said on Saturday his team had been “always ready” to face India despite receiving clearance only days ago.
“This is a very big game and the magnitude is huge,” he said ahead of practice at the stadium. “We were always ready for the game, whatever be the decision.”
Pakistan opened with a scrappy last-over three-wicket win over the Netherlands and then beat the United States by 32 runs.
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“We are in good momentum and I hope that being in Colombo since the start 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 has been bowling well and I am sure the mystery element will make him our trump card,” Salman said, dismissing doubts about the legality of the bowler’s sling-arm action and pause in his stride. “He has been cleared twice so there are no worries.”
Salman also expressed hope players would shake hands unlike during the Asia Cup.
“The game should be played in the true spirit of the game,” he said. “It has been the norm in cricket for years but whatever way they want, we will only know tomorrow.”
Both teams have won their first two group matches, meaning Sunday’s winner will secure a place in the Super Eights.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the magnitude of the clash.
“It’s a big platform, obviously,” he told reporters. “No matter how much you say that it’s just another game, it is a big game.
“We don’t play them often, don’t even play them regularly. But at the end of the day, we try to keep things simple and try to execute our best game.
“There is pressure, but there is a big opportunity. According to me, when you play an India-Pakistan game, it’s more about the occasion.”
Read more: ICC invites major Asian stakeholders to Pak-India Feb 15 T20 clash for talks to ‘melt ice’: report
He said opener Abhishek Sharma had recovered from a stomach bug and was likely to play after batting in the nets Saturday.
Yadav also downplayed the hype around Usman’s bowling action.
“We have practised with similar types of bowlers and similar actions so we will try to execute what we are practising in the night sessions,” he said.
Asked whether players would shake hands, he replied: “I will break the suspense tomorrow. Wait for 24 hours, let us play the game which is more important.”
Last September, India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup – their first meeting since a military conflict in May. Tensions rose afterward when Indian players left without shaking hands, sparking outrage in Pakistan. The PCB lodged a protest and Salman boycotted post-match media duties. Yadav further fuelled 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 the Marylebone Cricket Club, the board warned it would reconsider continuing in the tournament if Pycroft was not removed.
