‘Extra pressure on players as India hardly play Pak’
While India skipper Virat Kohli tried to play down the high-voltage ICC Champions Trophy 2017 opening clash between India cricket team and Pakistan cricket team in Birmingham by suggesting that it is just another game, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said the players will feel the pressure irrespective of what they say.
Waqar Younis felt the pressure will be enormous this time around as the arch-rivals will meet for the first time since their 2015 World Cup encounter at Adelaide Oval. “The less frequent these India versus Pakistan matches become, the more pressure there is on the players. 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,” Waqar said.
The Pakistan bowling legend recalled the pressure he experienced before playing India.
“I recall the matches I played against India. I always felt the pressure. 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,” he said.
Kohli quashed the talks that players are extra motivated to play against Pakistan. “For people watching in the stadium, the game is different as is the atmosphere around the ground. But if you ask players from both sides, it is like any other game. There is no need to motivate players any differently,” Kohli had said.
I always felt the pressure. It was hard to sleep the night before. However, that’s where you get tested and you can show your mettle. WAQAR YOUNIS, ex-Pak captain