Pakistan vs. India: Clash of the cricketing titans – ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final
The ‘Mother of all Battles’ is expected to dazzle as the second semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2011 takes place between bitter rivals http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 in Mohali. Both teams will be going all out for a place in the finals of the prestigious
tournament.
The supporters of each team have held their breath ever since Pakistan and India emerged as the semi-final contenders from the platform of the top-eight. Not just the two competing nations, but the entire world keenly awaits what vows to be a memorable scuffle
of the teams’ forte and courage.
As the event unfolds, passions will rouse on both sides of the border, with many eyes glued to the television screens and ears affixed to radios for the live match commentary. Time will virtually come to a halt when both the rival captains lead their battalions
onto the battlefield to spark an inferno between the two countries who have shared an acrimonious political past.
It will be hard to observe restraint on the sentiments of the cricket-crazy fans that have taken several beatings from the impartial batons of the police and still appeared at the ticket-counters to assure themselves a berth in the stadium.
The pre-match excitement has not spared the government officials with the national sentiments enticing the Prime Ministers of both the countries to watch the game live at the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Punjab-c833 Cricket Association stadium. This may turn the cricketing episode into a
curtain-raiser for new avenues of diplomacy, revealing new facets of peace-building. The gracious Prime Minister of India, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Manmohan-Singh-c74213 showed this angle to the neighbours when he invited Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza
Gillani to his home land to celebrate the meeting of the titans.
The presence of Bollywood celebrities, Indian and Pakistani dignitaries and the phenomenal hype spawned by the clash has prepared the stage for the World Cup’s greatest face-off.
The two cricket champions have confronted one another in four World Cup matches so far in history, with India snatching victory on all the occasions. That still does not down-play the power of the Men in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Green-c60723 who have managed 17 victories in 26 matches
played on Indian soil.
But all these figures will stay on paper, as the team that has the power to handle the pressure will champion tomorrow’s semi-final.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 believes the contrary to be true, claiming that playing before their native mob will only build pressure on the Indian team.
India’s captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820 has denied this to be the truth, as he refused to yield to any extra pressure and mind games.
"The World Cup is being held in the sub-continent and India and Pakistan are playing in the semi-finals. It does not get better. The pressure will be big, but in reality it makes no difference to us. It will be just a game. Indian cricket team has always
been under pressure and we have handled it well," said Dhoni.
Gutsy Afridi did not fail the team in issuing any equally bold and encouraging statement about the confidence that rests in his squad.
"It is a game of cricket and both teams can lay claim they will win the semi-final but given our current form I am confident we can beat India," said Afridi.
Their mutual devotion to cricket is what brings the two arch-enemies together on the centre stage, elevating the purpose of their encounter beyond the scope of victory and defeat. Only the future holds the answer to the unsettling question regarding the
victor of the enthralling match. Irrespective of which team wins, the game will surely be a victory of cricket.
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