Legendary pace bowler Wasim Akram has advised Pakistan and India’s cricketers to ignore the external pressure and focus on enjoying the game when they face off in a highly anticipated Asia Cup T20 match on Sunday.
The Group A match in Dubai will be the first time the two teams have met on the cricket field since a military conflict four months ago brought relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors to a decades-long low. India resisted calls to boycott the match, as the two nations have not played a bilateral series since the deadly Mumbai attacks in 2008.
“Enjoy, it’s a game of cricket,” the legendary left-armer Akram told AFP, referring to the match which could be the first of as many as three high-octane encounters between the rivals in the tournament. “Forget about everything other than cricket. One team will win, and one team will lose,” he said. “Just enjoy the moment if you win the game. Pressure will come, enjoy that and show discipline because this is just a game. It’s for both teams and for both sets of fans.”
A full house of 25,000 spectators is expected at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Akram recalled how he thrived under such pressure during his 19-year international career. “I enjoyed every game against India, and so did players from the opposition,” said Akram, who famously led a Pakistan touring team to India in 1999 despite threats from extremists. The 59-year-old was also part of Pakistan’s 1987 tour when the two countries came close to war.
Akram advised the inexperienced Pakistani team to focus on the bigger picture and not get caught up in the hype of playing the T20 world champions and arch-rivals India. “Pakistan have a chance as they won a tri-series last week,” said Akram, referring to a T20 series involving Afghanistan and the UAE. “They should not think that we just need to win against India, think of winning the Asia Cup,” he said.
“You can lose to a big team but even then, stand up and play well in the tournament,” Akram added. “I don’t think the match will be one-sided like India against UAE,” he said, referencing India’s opening romp on Wednesday where they needed just 4.3 overs to chase down their target after dismissing the hosts for 57. “Anything can happen in this tournament.”
Pakistan defeated Oman by 93 runs in their opening match on Friday. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage. The Asia Cup final is scheduled for September 28 in Dubai.
