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Cricket: India face Pakistan in World T20 tune-up
Mohammad Hafeez welcomed the chance to play against India before the tournament starts on Tuesday.
Mohammad Hafeez welcomed the chance to play against India before the tournament starts on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP
COLOMBO: Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will get an early chance to size up each other ahead of the World Twenty20 when they clash in a high-profile practice match in Colombo next Monday.
The match, part of the warm-up schedule drawn up by the International Cricket Council, is the only one of 12 practice games that will be beamed live by the host broadcasters.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez welcomed the chance to play against India before the tournament starts on Tuesday.
“It is usually a high-pressure game and good for us to experience it early,” Hafeez told reporters in Colombo on Wednesday night.
India coach Duncan Fletcher said his team’s two warm-up matches — the other is against host Sri Lanka on Saturday — will be important preparations for the main event.
“We have come here with the belief that we can win the World Twenty20 and it is crucial we get attuned to the conditions,” Fletcher said. “We have obviously got a good build-up.
“We look forward to the two warm-up games which will give us the preparation we require for the tournament.”
India and Pakistan have been drawn in separate groups for the preliminary league, but will meet in the Super Eights round in Colombo on September 30 if the seedings go to plan.
The two nations have played just two official Twenty20 internationals against each other, both during the inaugural world event in South Africa in 2007.
The league match in Durban ended in a tie with India winning the bowl-out, before the two sides met again in the final in Johannesburg, which Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Indians won by five runs.
Bilateral cricket ties between the two nations, which had been suspended since the Mumbai attacks in 2008, are set to resume later this year when Pakistan tour India for three one-dayers and two Twenty20 games.
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I have a feeling – Pakistan’s gonna lose.
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Remember people its just a game (:
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Can You Temme In Colombo Where Gonna Host The Match SSc or In R.premadasa or any other pls tell me soon
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@ Waseem
Check at cricinfo.com
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“May the best perfomer Wins”
Team Pakistan Good Luck, Be Ready for Yuvraj & Kholi!
No Heart Feelings in our Team We dont have batsmen & In India Team they dont have bowlers, why not we become one Team Indo-Pak and Chit all out!
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HOPE its not another heartbreak for us, Pakistan fan, there have been too many in the recent past. And Pakistani fans, please refrain from giving over-the-top comments this time, it hurts in the end.
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i think pak will win this match
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Pak should loose if they wanna win the cup (Ref to 2009 T20 World Cup).
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Pak has more Potential then India
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Though Pakistan has a dismal record against India in both short forms of the game but lets not be over-confident since Pakistan bowling attack is better than India and we just lost to NZ in India due to weakness in our bowling department.
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@Enlightened:
Dismal????
Excuse me , Pakistan has won far more matches
from India than India has from Pakistan
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@Blithe:
What I meant was the record of World cup matches but you are surely right that the overall ODI wins of Pakistan is better than India ie 69 against 48 won by India, however both 20-20 over matches played between the two countries so far ie during 2007 were won by India.
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Both these sides will meet in the Super 8 stages if they both clear the first round. I have a feeling whoever will win the warm-up will lose the bigger and official Super 8 match!!! (Provided Ind beat Afghanistan and Pak beat Bangladesh in the group stage :P)
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Neither Team will win the cup……….both have egos bigger than moon. If I am the captain, I will send Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan to open for India. If they are out very cheaply no big deal otherwise they will give a good start. Similarly Pakistan should open with Afridi, if he stays there for five overs, Pakistan will win for sure. Let us enjoy the best rivalry in cricket.If the game is to be decided by Muslim prayers, then India has more Muslims than in Pakistan.
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I am a spectator and I wish good game of cricket irrespective of who wins and who loses. India is a good bating team and Pakistan is good bowling team see who dominates who.
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In my point of view, playing XI should be:
Imran Nazir
Mohammad Hafeez (C)
Nazir Jamsheed
Kamran Akmal (wk)
Asad Shafiq
Hammad Azam
Shahid Afridi
Abdul Razzaq
Sohail tanvir
Umar gul
Saeed Ajmal
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Crush India!!
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A hunch: The team that’s gonna win this game will lose the one in the World Cup.
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Pak win this match Insha ALLAH b’coz it is not india’s home ground pak team is strong than india
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T20 is a lottery and even weak teams can upset the big boys as New Zealand did to India a few days ago. Pakistan has good pedigree in World T20 tournaments but is weaker than India on paper. For all those suggesting India has no bowlers – Zaheer, Harbhajan and Ashwin are all accomplished international bowlers which is much more than can be said of Pakistan’s batting which is well below standard. That said Indians have not handled Ajmal too well in recent matches and he will be the major threat. Both teams should reach the semi finals along with probably Sri Lanka.
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Should be a good match sit back and enjoy it . But folks remember its only a cricket match, even if it is a much awaited one.Cheers
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good luck team pakistan and imran nazir should performRecommend
I am the fan of Pakistan both teams are very strong on paper but one team which plays best cricket tomarrow will win….! I pray for Pakistan’s win.
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