For the fourth straight Sunday, the cricketing world will tune in for India vs Pakistan. After three weeks of acrimony and off-field drama in Dubai during the men’s Asia Cup, the attention now shifts to the women at the World Cup in Colombo.
On Saturday, at the pre-match press conference, a reporter from a Pakistani media organisation – who was expecting to see India captain Harmanpreet Kaur address the media but instead found bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi in front of him – asked if there would be a spillover of the controversies from the Asia Cup.
It was a two-part question, as Salvi was also asked – to his amusement – about his experience of working in Sri Lanka, which he promptly denied. The ICC media manager quickly stepped in as the reporter concluded. “Just a reminder, please. We said that we’re not taking that first question, so we’ll move on to the second question.”
Before Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s press conference, an announcement was made to that effect again.“Good morning, thank you for joining us for this pre-match press conference with Fatima Sana from Pakistan. Just a little bit of a notification. We won’t be taking any questions on the politics that are taking place at the moment. The team will just like to focus on cricket-related questions, so no questions on politics, no questions on handshakes, please, because those answers will not be forthcoming.”
It’s hard to imagine that the non-shaking of hands between two captains on a cricket field would become a topic of discussion for an entire month. On Sunday afternoon at the R Premadasa Stadium, India and Pakistan will lock horns in their second matches of the World Cup, three and a half years after players from both teams produced moments of camaraderie off the field at Mount Maunganui during the previous edition of the tournament.
India had comfortably won by 107 runs in a match where Pakistan had the upper hand early on, reducing Mithali Raj’s side to 114/6. Once the formalities were over on the field, a few Indian players went over to spend some time with the then Pakistan captain Bismah Marroof’s six-month-old daughter Fatima. Smriti Mandhana had later paid tribute to Maroof on social media too for returning to cricket as a mother.
“Will you miss that kind of camaraderie this time because of the current tensions between the countries?”
Fatima Sana smiled. “Obviously, our main goal is to play, and when we come here, our focus is only on the game. We try to keep healthy relationships with other teams. Whatever comes in the spirit of the game, we try to maintain that. What happened before, like with Bismah’s daughter when everyone mingled and enjoyed together – as players, we all like such scenarios. But the main thing is to stay focused on what we have come here for.”
It isn’t just the last World Cup either. In July 2017, Pakistan pacer Kainat Imtiaz shared a photo standing alongside Indian legend Jhulan Goswami.
“In 2005, I saw the Indian team for the first time as the Asia Cup was held in Pakistan. I was the ball-picker during the tournament. I saw Jhulan Goswami, the fastest bowler of that time. I was so impressed that I chose cricket as a career, specifically fast bowling. It’s a proud moment for me, as after 12 years today in 2017, I am playing this ODI World Cup with one of my inspirations and getting more inspired.”
There is little chance of witnessing such scenes in Colombo, with India set to continue their policy of no handshakes as reported by The Indian Express earlier. No Pakistan cricketer would pose next to Snriti or Harmanpreet Kaur, saying they inspired them. No Indian cricketer would head over to the other dressing room and share laughs. It is, in all likelihood, going to be just about turning up on the field, getting the job done, and moving on.
Of course, if the rain-soaked scenes of Saturday and the forecast for Sunday are any indication, there is a possibility that we might not even have a toss where the captains would have to awkwardly stand next to each other without shaking hands. Australia’s match against Sri Lanka on Saturday was washed out without a ball being bowled, and there is a significant amount of rain predicted till Sunday evening, with thunderstorms expected earlier in the day.
When it comes to the actual cricket, Pakistan would begin the day as heavy underdogs as India have never lost in 11 previous ODI meetings. The closest margin of victory for India was when they prevailed by six wickets with 24 balls remaining at the 2013 World Cup in Cuttack while chasing, and by 80 runs after batting first in a match back in December 2006.
It is fair to say Pakistan have never really managed to lay a glove on India, forget landing a proper punch. And in the ongoing tournament, Pakistan have already suffered a damaging defeat against Bangladesh in what was perhaps their best bet to register a win here. Fatima’s side were bowled out for just 129, which Bangladesh chased down comfortably despite an early wobble. The Pakistan captain struck a defiant tone though.
“Whatever records exist between India and Pakistan are meant to be broken. It’s not that Pakistan will never win against them. We believe in playing good cricket, no matter who the opponent is. So we won’t think about past history.”
India would still have to turn up with a professional performance, ignoring the noise around this match, which is easier said than done. There were a couple of warning signs against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, but Harmanpreet’s side ensured they didn’t slip on the banana skin. Sunday presents another opportunity to lay down an early marker in the tournament ahead of two much stiffer tests against South Africa and Australia.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
