“There’s always pressure in India-Pakistan games. We’ve told our players, not just this game, consider every match as an India-Pakistan game if you want to win the event,” Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, said on the eve of the marquee clash against India at the Asia Cup 2018.
“There’s pressure, but we’re trying to not let it affect us, and perform well.”
The pressure, and the hype, is understandable. India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads politically for decades now, with only sporadic periods of friendly calm.
“When you talk of junoon [passion], when you’re at home or you’re going to play a match against India, everyone’s wish is for you to win against India,” said Ahmed. “As a player, as a captain, if you see, we have to win against all the teams but the thing about getting inspired is correct.
“So the junoon is there and you get a hope that against India you’ve to perform … it has happened in the past as well, whichever player it is – whether from India or Pakistan – he becomes a hero in the eyes of his fans.”
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