Pakistan takes on India in the marquee match of the T20 World Cup. West Indies unbeaten pitches against Nepal
MUMBAI, India (AP) — The most anticipated match of the T20 World Cup will attract over a billion eyeballs when India takes on arch-rival Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday with uncertainty aplenty still surrounding world cricket’s marquee match.
Political and diplomatic tensions between the two nations have often spilled over onto the cricket field. Sunday’s match will be the first time the teams have met since last year’s acrimonious Asia Cup tournament in the United Arab Emirates, which India won and where the players refused to shake hands.
Announcement
Elsewhere, West Indies are aiming for a third consecutive win in Group C by winning the toss and choosing to field against Nepal in Mumbai. The United States, who lost to both India and Pakistan before beating the Netherlands, will face Namibia in their final Group A match next Sunday.
Victory against Nepal will guarantee the West Indies a place in the Super 8s after having already beaten Scotland and England. Nepal, playing their third consecutive match in Mumbai, came close to upsetting England before Italy for the first time handed them a 10-wicket defeat.
All eyes on Colombo
But Colombo remains the focal point on Sunday, where the main match of the tournament will begin at 7pm local time (2pm GMT).
Announcement
Before the match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said he believes it is up to the Indian players to decide whether they will shake hands with his team before and after Sunday’s match.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, for his part, remained non-committal.
“Why are you highlighting this?” Suryakumar asked reporters on the eve of the match. “We’re here to play cricket. We’ll play good cricket. We’ll take all those calls tomorrow. We’ll see tomorrow.”
Pakistan’s government threatened to boycott Sunday’s match after the International Cricket Council expelled Bangladesh from the World Cup for refusing to play matches in India, citing security concerns.
Announcement
Pakistan agreed to play only after intense discussions with the International Criminal Court. The device is the main source of revenue for the ICC.
The tension is high
Tensions came to a head in the Asia Cup when Suryakumar refused to shake hands with Agha. Heated moments ensued between the two sides during the tournament, with Pakistan’s Suryakumar and Haris Rauf fined for breaching the ICC code of conduct.
India won the Asia Cup but refused to accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board president Mohsin Naqvi.
“The match should be played in real spirit, the way it has been played since the beginning. The rest depends on them (India), what they want to do,” Agha told the media on Saturday on the possibility of the players shaking hands.
Announcement
Political and military tensions mean the two teams have not played a bilateral series for years.
India have not visited Pakistan since 2008 and Pakistan visited India for the 50-over World Cup in 2023 but have since played ICC tournaments at neutral venues.
India have defeated Pakistan 12 times in the 16 T20 matches they have played. He also has an impressive record of 6-1 in eight T20 World Cup matches since the inaugural edition in 2007, including one draw.
Tariq’s action
Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq’s bowling action has been the subject of discussion in the last few days. The Indian media has questioned whether Tariq’s action is legal because he pauses before throwing the ball.
Announcement
“The guy has been cleared twice and has done everything the ICC said, and everything that is required to bowl in international cricket,” Agha said of Tariq. “I don’t know why people say so many things about him, but the one thing I can assure you is that he doesn’t care because he’s very used to these things.”
__
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket