Pakistan, India keen to avoid controversy

Pakistan and India teams have trained their eyes on their crucial Super Fours fixture at the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday (today), as the political fallout of their previous match continues to overshadow the cricket tournament in Dubai.

Sadly, with sports, particularly cricket, now increasingly a proxy for the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in Delhi, the toxicity has spilled on-field with relations between the playing groups of India and Pakistan at boiling point.

For obvious reasons, the two sides are keen to avoid controversy. The Group A clash between the fierce 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 neighbours since they returned from the brink of a full-scale war following a four-day military conflict in May.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had demanded the removal of Andy Pycroft as match referee for the must-win group game against the hosts. Zimbabwean Pycroft oversaw that clash last Sunday. Pakistan's last group game against the United Arab Emirates was delayed for an hour due to the standoff before the matter was resolved with Pycroft apologizing to the Greenshirts.

Pycroft remained the match referee for Wednesday's game and is still scheduled to officiate on Sunday.

Pakistan cancelled their pre-match news conference one hour before its scheduled time on Saturday, while India's captain Suryakumar Yadav evaded questions on the "no handshake" row when he spoke to the media after his team's win over Oman on Friday.

Sunday's match between the South Asian archrivals will be their second meeting in eight days, with the winner taking a step closer to the tournament's final on September 28.

While the political statements and off-field actions following the September 14 clash continue to impact preparations for the upcoming Super Fours match, both camps have taken steps to avoid further repercussions and protect the players from controversy.

When Yadav was asked to comment on the handshake row after his team's last group-stage fixture on Friday evening, he responded by saying: "It [the match] will be a good contest between the ball and the bat."

He went on to add that he's asked his players to "shut the noise" ahead of the match against Pakistan. "Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep," the India captain said. "It's easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult."

Having made pointedly political statements after his team's win over Pakistan on Sunday, the 35-year-old chose to steer clear of similar comments a day before their second match.