It’s not going to be a usual day at business for cricket tomorrow as Pakistan and India will unprecedently take on each other in an Asia Cup final. But that’s hardly the only thing that is likely to make headlines tomorrow. The two teams have met twice in a fortnight, and the hysteria and tension have only grown. Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, has said his team will not pipe their aggression down, provided no one crosses the line.
“If someone wants to be aggressive on the ground, then why not?” Agha said at a press conference. “If you deprive a fast bowler of their aggression, then what’s left? Every player knows how to deal with their emotions. I give players the license to react the way they want on the ground. As long as they’re not disrespecting anyone and stay within the line, I have no issues with that.”
This being the sides’ first meeting since the military standoff in May was always expected to sharpen tempers. Their Super Fours clash already carried over the tension of the first game, with heated exchanges breaking out on the field. Afterward, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma remarked that Pakistan players were “coming at us for no reason.”
The match also saw Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf sanctioned for violating the ICC code of conduct, while Suryakumar Yadav was fined 30% of his match fee for political remarks. None of it suggested the final would be a placid encounter.
India refused to shake hands with Pakistah before or after the first game, which led to Pakistan nealry boycotting the remainder of the tournament. Agha, commenting on that refusal, did not hide his disappointment, saying no handshakes are a bad look for the sport.
“I’ve been playing cricket since 2007 professionally. I’ve never seen no handshakes between two teams. My dad is a huge fan of cricket and used to tell me about its history. He never told me about any game where there’s not been a handshake. I’ve heard it’s never happened before.
“When India-Pakistan games took place in even more tense situations, handshakes always happened. Not to have handshakes is not good for cricket. If someone wants to be aggressive, whether they’re from my team or their team, I have no issues with that, but you should shake hands at the end of it.”
The ceremonial captains’ photoshoot ahead of finals was also left uncertain, with the call deferred to the morning of the game. Agha did not shy from accepting that India-Pakistan games are a big deal for the side, with this also being a final this time, no less.
“It would be wrong to say a Pakistan-India match doesn’t carry more pressure,” he said. “It’s the final. There’ll be a similar amount of pressure on both sides. The pressure of a final is different, of course.
“We can’t control what’s happened out of the ground. One of our philosophies is to not worry about what we can’t control. We are not focused on what people on the outside are saying. We’re here to win the Asia Cup and that’s our only focus.”
