A little bit earlier than midday on Tuesday, the captains of the eight groups at the Asia Cup sauntered into a packed corridor of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and sat beside one another on a dais simply sufficiently big to accommodate them. Once it was time for the media to shoot questions, a request was created from the moderator in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in latest months. “Let’s keep the questions apolitical and pro-sports.”
While that was adhered to throughout a 19-minute interplay that includes six languages, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha have been requested whether or not they must give directions to their gamers to maintain tempers in test throughout the high-voltage contest on Sunday.
Measured responses adopted from each captains. “Aggression is always there when we take the field. And without aggression, I don’t think you can play this sport. I’m very excited to take the field on the front foot,” Suryakumar stated.
Salman echoed Suryakumar’s views. “Well, you don’t need to say anything to any player. Because everyone is individually very different,” the 31-year-old stated.
“If someone wants to be aggressive in the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive. And you can’t just stop them because that’s what keeps them going. So, from my side, there is no instruction to anyone as long as it stays in the ground.”
The different groups have their very own challenges to confront. For Rashid Khan’s Afghans, as an example, the take a look at is whether or not they can go the distance after reaching the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“Well, whenever you are coming for a big competition, you are always well prepared. We forget what happened in the past, who we have beaten and where we reached. We have to focus on what’s next for us,” the ace leggie stated.
Amidst some severe responses, Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka induced peals of laughter when requested about his workforce reaching Dubai from Harare after a three-match collection towards Zimbabwe solely on Tuesday morning.
“Right now, I’m feeling very sleepy. I should answer it tomorrow,” Asalanka chuckled. “It’s really hard to play back-to-back games in Zimbabwe on September 6 and 7 (Saturday and Sunday) and then travel here straightaway. I think actually we need to have a couple of days off. I hope the coach will give us (offs).”
