Pakistan and India teams have trained their eyes on their crucial super four -accuracy in the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday (today) as the political fall of their previous match continues to overshadow the Cricket Tournament in Dubai.
Unfortunately, with sports, especially cricket, now increasingly a power of attorney to the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in Delhi, the toxicity has spilled on the field with the relationship between the players groups in India and Pakistan at the boiling point.
For obvious reasons, the two sides are eager to avoid controversy. Group A clashes between the hard rivals last Sunday ended on a bitter note when Indian players refused to shake hands with their opponents. It was the first meeting between the two neighbors since returning from the brink of a full-scale war after a four-day military conflict in May.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had demanded the removal of Andy Pycroft as a combat judge for the must-win group game against the hosts. Zimbabwean Pycroft monitored that clash last Sunday. Pakistan’s last group game against the United Arab Emirates was delayed for an hour because of the standoffs before the case was resolved with Pycroft, who apologized for greenshirts.
Pycroft remained the fighting judge for Wednesday’s games and is still scheduled to work on Sunday.
Pakistan canceled their news conference before the match one hour before its scheduled time on Saturday, while India’s Captain Suryakumar Yadav avoided questions about the “No Handshake” series as he spoke with the media after his team’s win over Oman on Friday.
Sunday’s match between the South Asian archives will be their second meeting in eight days, with the winner taking one step closer to the tournament’s final on September 28.
While the political statements and off-Field actions after the clash on September 14 continue to influence preparations for the upcoming Super Fours match, both camps have taken steps to avoid further follow and protect players from controversy.
When Yadav was asked to comment on the handshake row after his team’s last group phase luminaire on Friday night, he replied by saying, “That [the match] Will be a good competition between the ball and the bat. “
He continued to add that he has asked his players to “close the noise” in front of the game against Pakistan. “Close your room, turn off your phone and sleep,” the Indian Captain said. “It’s easy to say, but sometimes it’s difficult.”
After making pointed political statements after his team’s victory over Pakistan on Sunday, the 35-year-old chose to avoid similar comments one day before their second match.
