India and Pakistan are all set to meet in the Asia Cup, which will be their first encounter since a brief military standoff between the two countries in May following the Pahalgam terror attack. The captains of both sides, speaking to media on the opening day of the tournament, said that players have not been instructed to keep a lid on aggression, as long as it stays on the field.
Asked if the political backdrop might weigh on India when they face Pakistan on September 14, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said aggression is what makes the sport exciting.
“Temper? Aggression is always there when we take the field,” Suryakumar said. “And without aggression, I don’t think you can play this sport. I’m very excited to take the field.”
A similar point of view was echoed by Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha, who added that aggression, if it’s limited only to the field, is what keeps the players going.
“You don’t need to say anything to any player,” Agha said. “Everyone is different. If someone wants to be aggressive on the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive and you can’t stop them because that’s what keeps them going.
“From my side, there is no instruction to anyone, as long as it stays on the field.”
India come to the tournament as the T20 World Cup champions, but nearly half of the squad that led them to the silverware will not be joining Suryakumar’s side for the Asia Cup in the UAE. Some are out of favour, others have been replaced by newer options, and a few have retired from the format altogether. India also haven’t played a T20I since February, leaving their build-up threadbare. Despite that, they continue to be bracketed as favourites. Suryakumar, however, did not share the same view. Responding to the media calling his side the favourites, he said with a laugh,
“Who said? I haven’t heard of it. But you have played in this format and you know how your preparations are. If your preparations are good, then you will be very confident when you take the field.
“We are playing T20 as a team after a long time. But we were here three to four days back, had some good time together as a team, and we are really looking forward to this tournament.”
Pakistan, on the other hand, didn’t go cold turkey with the T20I format like their rivals. They have played 19 T20Is this year, the most by any Test nation. Yet Salman does not think that makes them the top picks, especially in a format as unpredictable as T20.
“In T20, I don’t think anyone is favourite,” he said. “On a particular day, you just have to play good cricket. T20 is a very fast game. In one or two overs, the game can completely change.
“The tri-series was always preparation for the Asia Cup. If we won it, that’s very good, but the focus was always on this tournament. We still have to come here, play good cricket, and win the Asia Cup. That’s all that matters.
“We are playing very good cricket. I think for almost four months, we have won three series out of four. So we are doing very well as a team and at the same time, we are very excited. A lot of the boys will play in the Asia Cup for the first time but they are ready for the challenge.”
