Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal hopes the much-anticipated encounter between India and Pakistan in Dubai goes ahead peacefully, amidst concerns of tensions spilling over on and off the field.
The high-voltage Asia Cup match on Sunday comes just four months after a military conflict between the two neighbours — their most serious standoff since the 1999 Kargil war.
The conflict followed a terrorist attack on the Indian tourist site of Pahalgam in April, which killed 26 people. India accused Pakistan of involvement, charges that Islamabad strongly denied. The incident escalated into missile and aircraft attacks from both sides before being defused through US President Donald Trump’s intervention.
Amidst calls for a boycott, New Delhi cleared the match under its sports policy, which allows participation against Pakistan in multinational tournaments but not bilateral series.
“Fans Must Show Big Hearts”
Kamran, who played in several iconic India-Pakistan contests including the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali, admitted to Telecom Asia Sport that the atmosphere is tense and requires careful handling.
“These are tough times in India-Pakistan relations,” Kamran told Telecom Asia Sport.
“It will be tense, and that is why there are fears. But I think it will get better only if the game goes well.”
Recalling the United Arab Emirates as a neutral venue where fans from both sides often mingled,
Kamran appealed for restraint:
“Fans should show a big heart and come together to enjoy the full match. It should be an atmosphere like in the past. I request fans not to cross the line, whether they are from Pakistan or India. They must make the match successful so that Indo-Pak matches continue.”
Kamran acknowledged that aggression has always been part of Indo-Pak matches, but warned that players must not let emotions cross the line.
“Aggression is the beauty of an India-Pakistan match. How to take that aggression is the key. Respect should be there. Players will have to remember cricket is a gentleman’s game. If they keep that in mind, I am sure Sunday’s match will go untroubled.”
He cited a recent example:
“There was an ‘A’ team match in Oman last year where Sufiyan Muqeem and Abhishek Sharma had a verbal clash. Aggression will always be there, but it should be controlled.”
Kamran also reflected on his famous on-field spat with India’s current head coach Gautam Gambhir during the 2010 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
“It was a misunderstanding. Gautam is a very good person. We had toured Kenya together for an ‘A’ team event and became good friends. In that Asia Cup match, I appealed when he missed a shot. He was talking to himself about the miss, but I thought he said something to me. That’s how the misunderstanding happened.”
Despite the fraught political backdrop, Kamran believes cricket can help bridge divides:
“Both teams will be tense, but like in the past, it will ease out once the game begins. If they play good cricket, differences will get less. I am sure a full house will enjoy the game.”
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