Therefore, An India-Pakistan match is the mother of all cricketing rivalries, as well as the World Cup’s most important match. Every seat in the 70 percent permissible capacity will be filled, and demand for tickets is at an all-time high.
The question then is simple: Is this match “simply another game,” as the players keep stating in pre-and post-match press conferences, or is it a truly unique encounter that produces heroes who are then lauded for days and months back home?
Kapil Dev, one of the finest players in the sport’s history, describes it as a “totally different contest.”
“This is one game every cricketer wants to do well in. You know you will be an instant hero back home if you are able to win this contest for your team. People remember these performances and I keep saying to everyone I meet that it is not pressured. Rather, it is pleasure.” he said
“You need to welcome the biggest stage. Enjoy the opportunity to perform at the biggest stage for only then can you be really great. You should treat such matches as pleasure. India Pakistan contests offer you that opportunity to become a true great of the game.” he added
In Sharjah, Kapil Dev vividly recalls two games versus Pakistan. The first is, of course, Chetan Sharma’s Javed Miandad six, and the second is the most unbelievable Rothmans Cup encounter, in which India, after being bowled out for 125, bundled out Pakistan for 87 to win famously.
“I will never forget these two matches. That’s what I am trying to tell you. This is a very different match and the high of winning this is different”, says Kapil.
Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd, a former West Indian cricketer with an objective perspective on the competition, agrees. Kapil Dev’s advice
“Look there is no debate this is one of cricket’s marquee contests. It is like England v Australia and sometimes even bigger. Players just want to do that extra bit better in matches like these. As a sportsman, I’d want these two teams to play more against each other and I’d also hope that someday they start playing bilateral cricket again. I say this only because I’d want to watch these matches for what they bring to the table”, says Clive.
The stage is set for Sunday’s event. It’s India v Pakistan for the first match in two years, and we’ll have a near-full house in a cricket stadium for the first time in a year and a half. It’s maybe fitting that supporters are returning to the stadium just in time for the most anticipated match of the T20 World Cup.
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