Pakistan players during a practice session ahead of their Group A match against India in the ICC Champions Trophy, 2025, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on February 22, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed noted that the high-stakes nature of India-Pakistan games offers players the best chance to showcase their skills, and the extra pressure on the players gives this encounter its charm.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a knockout or whatever. It is beyond game, and that’s the beauty. If you look at the positive, it’s the best time and chance for any individual or team to make a mark,” said Javed.
“What is pressure? It is the thought of what will happen before and after a game. No one knows. Right now, we are all guessing what will happen in this match. This is the beauty of it.”
“Taking pressure is the job of the players. If you remove this pressure, what’s left in the Pakistan-India game?,” he rhetorically asked.
On playing this crucial encounter in Dubai, where India has already played one game and is bound to enjoy more crowd support, the 52-year-old stressed that players must not worry about the crowd factor.
“The team’s morale, wherever they play, even if they take the crowd out of the stadium, Pakistan-India game will have the same enthusiasm. This is the beauty of it. And what does the crowd do? The crowd supports you when you play well; they clap for you. When you play badly, whether it is India or Pakistan, your crowd starts chanting against you. So, you should not keep the crowd in your mind as a player,” he added.
The pitches in Dubai have been slower, and Pakistan has just one front-line spinner alongside part-timers like Salman Ali Agha (offie) and Kushdil Shah (left-arm spin). When asked if his side lacked the right resources for the conditions, Javed defended the selection.
“We have to play our cricket on our own strength. Our team will not see any major changes. We have selected a team based on our beliefs. We will back this team.”
“Our fast-bowling options are the best. These are the match winners. It’s not necessary to follow the same strategy as the other teams. And these are match winners, so it is not necessary that the other team should do the same,” said Javed.
Published – February 22, 2025 10:14 pm IST
