Gargi Raut in Dubai
India and Pakistan are all set to take each other on for the second time in the tournament. But the stakes are far higher this time around. While the first clash was overshadowed by calls for a boycott in the lead-up of the game, the second game involves drama never seen before. After the first encounter between the two nations, the Indian team refused handshakes at the end of the game. In the press conference, Suryakumar Yadav, the captain, dedicated the win to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the armed forces. The move did not sit well with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which asked for the replacement of match referee Andy Pycroft from their next game against UAE. The PCB also wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) asking for an investigation into the officials involved in the first India-Pakistan game.
Not only that, their game against the UAE was delayed by an hour due to ongoing conversations between the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the PCB. Subsequently, a video was put out on social media by the PCB from the stadium premises, where Pycroft was seen having a conversation with PCB coaching staff and other officials. The audio was muted, and rumours started circulating on social media that Pycroft had apologised to Pakistan which was why the team then proceeded to play. Baseless accusations were also made of Pycroft being partial to the Indian team.
On Saturday, news broke that the Pakistan team had hired a sports psychologist to help the players with the pressure ahead of the game. For the same reason, Pakistan also cancelled the press conference, stating that they wanted to protect their players from the outside noise. But then, during the evening, when India and Pakistan practiced side by side at the ICC Academy, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi walked in, capturing the attention of all the media present there.
That begged the question: if the Pakistan management was going all out to minimise the pressure on the players, why was the chief present at the practice session? Was that not counterproductive? If the management wanted to block the noise, they would have treated this like any other game. Instead, Naqvi had a long chat with the players at the end of their practice session.
Meanwhile, the Indian team was as relaxed as ever. Only three players were part of the optional practice – vice-captain Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarty. The two batters tonked the net bowlers all around the park, eliciting loud cries of “watch out!” from everyone present. A few shots landed on glass surfaces and among the media, but did not cause any damage. Following their net session, the three players along with Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, and Sitanshu Kotak, who looks after the batting, had a long but relaxed chat. They were sitting on the ground engaged in a long conversation while Naqvi drew all attention to himself on the other side of the academy.
Since the first India-Pakistan clash, India haven’t shied away from addressing tough questions. The management has struck the right balance, protecting the players while fulfilling their responsibilities with transparency and composure. Suryakumar, smiling and in high spirits, answered the media’s questions happily in the pre-match press conference. While Pakistan claimed they wanted no outside noise, they were the ones creating most of it.
Also Read: India vs Pakistan – Non-Stop Drama!
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