India vs Pakistan cricket matches always have big hype© AFP
India and Pakistan don’t play each other too often but the hype around the contest is as fierce as ever. With the two teams now set to face each other in the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup this year, the chatter around the subject is intense. In an interview, when legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev was asked if there’s ‘too much pressure’ around Indo-Pak cricket match, highlited a different aspect of the game, explaining where the pressure in such games actually come from.
In an interview with The Week, Kapil was asked if there’s ‘too much drama’ around India vs Pakistan matches which leads to ‘pressure’, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain said it’s not the on-filed challenge that brings pressure.
“What is pressure? Pressure doesn’t come when you’re facing the ball. It starts building up when your waiter gives you coffee and says, “Pakistan se nahi haarna (don’t lose to Pakistan)”. So that’s how the build-up takes place,” Kapil said.
On being asked if he is friends with any Pakistani cricketer of his generation, Kapil said no one has the time these days.
“I don’t meet my own team members because I’m doing my own thing. I will ask you a similar question – are you in touch with all your school friends? Because we have drifted away or have our own life. How can I meet Imran Khan? He was the prime minister,” he explained.
Kapil also said that he would’ve loved to speak to former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan but he doesn’t have that sort of the time now, having been the Prime Minister of the country.
“He has gone into a different phase. I would like to meet him, but does he have so much free time? So many people studied or spent time with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Does he have time for everybody? No,” said the legendary Indian cricketer.
Topics mentioned in this article