Karachi : Salman Ali Agha expects Sunday’s politically charged Twenty20 World Cup clash between Pakistan and India to be played in the right spirit but said he was unsure whether the customary pre-match handshakes would take place.
The bitter rivals will meet for the first time since last year’s Asia Cup final, staged after military tensions between India and Pakistan that nearly escalated into full-scale conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The latest encounter follows a row in which Pakistan, angered by Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament after they refused to travel to India over security concerns, threatened to boycott the fixture before reversing that decision.
“I expect the game should be played in the spirit that it has always been played since its inception,” Agha told reporters in Colombo on Saturday.
India defeated Pakistan three times at the Asia Cup, including the Sept. 28 final in Dubai, but declined to shake hands with their opponents before or after matches.
“We’ll find out tomorrow (if it happens),” Agha said when asked about the prospect of handshakes.
Pakistan’s boycott threat put at risk one of cricket’s most lucrative contests, with broadcasters fearing the potential loss of millions of dollars in advertising revenue.
The International Cricket Council held a series of negotiations before securing a compromise to ensure the match would go ahead as scheduled.
“India v Pakistan is a game of high magnitude … Tomorrow’s game is no different,” Agha added.
“From our side, before heading into the tournament, we were prepared for all possible scenarios – whether the game would go ahead or not.”
Agha acknowledged the added burden on captains in high-profile contests.
“It’s an added responsibility when you are the captain of your side and you’re representing your country,” he said. “You can’t run away from the responsibility. When you’re representing your country and captaining a side, there will be pressure. You just need to find a way to deal with that.”
With rain forecast for Sunday, Agha said Pakistan were prepared to adapt to the conditions.
