India set to play Pakistan in a T20 warm up match

14 September, 2012

India and Pakistan will go head to head on September 17 2012, when they will play a warm-up match before the ICC T20 World cup starts on September 18 2012.

EVEN BEFORE the ICC T20 World Cup kicks off from 18 September 2012, India will be involved in a big warm up match against Pakistan on September 17. Though it is only a warm-up match, both sides will take this match seriously, as they would also like to build on their form for the competition. The team, which walks away with the game will go into the competition as a confident side when the ICC T20 World Cup Championship starts.

India–Pakistan cricket ties have suffered after the Mumbai terror attack. The last match that was played between the two nations was at Mirpur, where India turned victorious by 6 wickets. So, the scheduled warm-up match is going to take place after a period of 6 months. Each time these two nations play, they bring a hope of better diplomatic ties as well. Mohammad Hafeez, T20 captain for the Pakistan side, intends to given the match due importance. “This match will also help in good relations between India and Pakistan (at the government level),” Hafeez told ANI.

Hafeez also said, “This game will definitely help us play under pressure.” An India-Pakistan match is always a pressure match, as it tests the character of the players, apart from taking a physical and mental toll on the players. Previous India-Pakistan encounters in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup have been very close with India being victorious on both counts in tightly-fought matches.

The cricketing rivalry between the two nations is one of the greatest in world cricket. “The rest of the world will love to watch Pakistan and India game,” said Hafeez.