Virat Kohli might have said that India will treat their opening ICC Champions Trophy game against arch-rivals Pakistan as just like any other game but former Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis has said that players from both the sides will be under pressure including the India skipper.
With India and Pakistan not playing bilateral series in recent times owing to the escalating political tensions, Waqar feels that the pressure will be more than ever on the players to win the high-voltage clash. Both the teams have not played a full bilateral Test series since 2007 when Pakistan visited India for three Tests and five One-Day Internationals. They played a short series of three ODIs and two T20s in India in December 2012 but otherwise, both have faced each other only in the ICC organised events or the Asia Cup.
“The less frequent these India versus Pakistan matches become, the more pressure there is on the players,” Waqar told PakPassion website. “These matches now come around once in three to four years so everyone is waiting with baited breath for these games. The players on both sides will feel pressure, irrespective of what they say in the media, and whether it’s young Shadab Khan or the experienced Virat Kohli, they will be nervous.”
A protagonist of several memorable Indo-Pak matches, Waqar recalled the times when he used to be under immense pressure before any match against India.
“I recall the matches I played against India. I always felt the pressure,” he said, “It was hard to sleep the night before. However, that’s where you get tested and you can show your mettle. This is the time and the place to become a hero. It’s a big challenge, but those who stand up to its will come out on top.”
Earlier, Kohli had dismissed suggestions that the players will treat the much-anticipated Indo-Pak game differently.
“Yes, an Indo-Pak game is always exciting. For people watching in the stadium, the game is different. If you ask players from both sides, it is like any other game. We prepare for it like it’s any other game. The atmosphere around the ground is different. But in our heads, playing against any other team, be it England, Australia, South Africa it is all the same,” Kohli had said before the team departure for England.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue have warmed up in style before starting their title-defending campaign against Pakistan. The Virat Kohli-led side has hammered New Zealand and Bangladesh in the two warm-up games and will be confident of starting their Champions Trophy campaign with a win against Pakistan on June 4 at Edgbaston.