Waqar Younis and Virat Kohli engaged in war of words

Former Pakistan speedster Waqar Younis has dropped a bombshell ahead of the high-intensity clash between India and Pakistan. According to him, there will be immense pressure on the players from both sides during their first match in Birmingham on June 4. He reiterated that as the arch-rivals are meeting for the first time in a 50-over tournament since 2015 World Cup, they will feel the heat immensely.

Waqar is of the notion that since India and Pakistan are not playing matches regularly, pressure will creep in. It is to be noted that the two nations last played in the World T20 2016 encounter when India won the match courtesy a heroic batting display by Virat Kohli. They last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 and it seems unlikely that one will be played in the near future.

High-pressure game

The former head coach also thinks that players can say anything in press conferences to cloak their pressure. But everybody, whether he is experienced Kohli or youngster Shadab Khan, will be shaky and have their nerves on their end.

“The less frequent these India versus Pakistan matches become, the more pressure there is on the players. These matches now come once in three to four years so everyone is waiting with bated breath for these games. The players on both the sides will feel pressure, irrespective of what they say in the media, and whether it’s the young Shadab Khan or the experienced Virat Kohli, they will be nervous,” he was quoted as saying by HT.

The Pakistani bowling legend, who was a mercurial bowler in his time along with the likes of Wasim Akram and Imran Khan, recollected his playing days with excitement. He said that India-Pakistan matches were also very intense back then and pressure got the better of him as he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep before the match.  To him, this is the best platform to prove oneself and be a runaway success.

“I recall the matches I played against India. I always felt the pressure. It was hard to sleep the night before. However that’s when you get tested and you can show your mettle. This is the time and place to become a hero. It’s a big challenge, but those who stand up to its will come out on top,” he concluded.

Virat responds

In the midst of all these comments, the Indian skipper has quelled the pressure factor and expressed a buoyant desire to play against their bitter rivals. He is treating the encounter as any other game and hopes his rival players will treat the same way. Virat thinks players don’t need any extra source of motivation to play an Indo-Pak game. Only passion and right temperament is necessary, rather than being emotional.

“For people watching in the stadium the game is different as is the atmosphere around the ground. But if you ask players from both sides, it is like any other game. There is no need to motivate players any differently. If you’re playing for India, there is no need for any separate motivation. Yes, you need to be passionate, but there is no need to be emotional,” Virat Kohli quoted.