MUMBAI, India (AP) — India faces arch-rival Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday in the most anticipated match of the T20 World Cup, which will attract more than a billion people and a world cricket war that remains rife with uncertainty.
Political and diplomatic tensions between the two countries often spill over onto the cricket field. Sunday’s match will be the first meeting between the two teams since last year’s fiery Asia Cup tournament in the United Arab Emirates, where India won but the players refused to shake hands.
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Elsewhere, West Indies won the toss and opted to face Nepal in Mumbai as they aim to make it three consecutive wins in Group C. The Americans lost to India and Pakistan before defeating the Netherlands and will face Namibia in their final Group A match later Sunday.
A win over Nepal will ensure West Indies a spot in the Super Eights after defeats against Scotland and England. Nepal came close to defeating England in their third consecutive match in Mumbai, but debutants Italy were beaten by ten wickets.
All eyes are on Colombo
But Colombo remains the focus on Sunday, with the championship’s big game kicking off at 7pm local time (1400 GMT).
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Ahead of the match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said he believed the Indian players would decide whether to shake hands with his team before or after Sunday’s match.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was non-committal.
“Why do you want to emphasize this?” Suryakumar asked reporters on the eve of the game. “We’re here to play cricket. We’re going to play good cricket. We’re going to take all these calls tomorrow. We’ll see tomorrow.”
The Pakistani government threatened to boycott Sunday’s match after the International Cricket Council kicked Bangladesh out of the World Cup by refusing to play against India, citing security concerns.
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Pakistan agreed to participate in the tournament only after intense discussions with the ICC. Matches are the main source of revenue for the ICC.
Tensions continue to rise
Tensions came to a head during the Asia Cup when Suryakumar refused to shake Agha’s hand. Fierce moments ensued between the two sides throughout the tournament, with Suryakumar and Pakistan’s Haris Rauf fined for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.
India eventually won the Asia Cup but refused to accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
“The match should be played in true spirit, like it has been played since the beginning. The rest is up to them (India), what they want to do,” Aga told the media on Saturday while talking about the possibility of players shaking hands.
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Political and military tensions mean the two teams have not played a bilateral series in years.
India has not toured Pakistan since 2008, and Pakistan also visited India for the 2023 50-over World Cup but has since played the ICC tournament at neutral venues.
India have defeated Pakistan 12 times in the 16 T20 matches they have played. Since the first World Cup in 2007, the Chinese team has achieved an impressive record of 6 wins and 1 loss in 8 T20 World Cup games, one of which was a draw.
Tariq’s actions
Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq’s bowling action has been a topic of discussion in recent days. Indian media questioned whether Tariq’s action was legal because he paused before passing the ball.
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“The guy has been cleared twice and he has done everything the International Cricket Council has said and everything international cricket requires,” Aga said of Tariq. “I don’t know why people say so much about him, but one thing I can guarantee you is that he doesn’t care because he’s used to it.”
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AP Cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket