Former Pakistan cricket team fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that emotions are running high as Pakistan and India will face each other for the first time on the cricket ground since Operation Sindoor. There was a rise in political tensions between the two nations following the terror attack in Pahalgam. 26 civilians were killed in the Pahalgam attack and in May, India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan leading to a tense military showdown that de-escalated on Pakistan’s request for a ceasefire. Akhtar said that it is highly unlikely that it will not be a houseful affair and rubbished reports that tickets have not sold out yet for the match with just one day remaining.
“Emotions are running very high. Now we [Pakistan] are meeting India for the first time post-war. Think about it — it cannot not be houseful. Someone said to me that the tickets are unsold. I said, ‘What are you saying?’ Everything is sold; these are all the external talks,” he said on PTV Sports.
Meanwhile, former India cricketer Atul Wassan made a sensational claim that even India’s B team will be able to defeat this Pakistan side.
“India’s B team will also beat this Pakistan team because things have changed. When we played in the 90s, they were a very good side. Now the boot is on the other foot. I will not miss Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) because then I will start missing Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev also,” said Wassan on CNN News18, as quoted by the Indian Express.
“The king is dead, long live the king. Things move, new superstars come in, and this embarrassment of riches, and I feel sorry for the selectors because to keep everyone in the mix because who’s to drop and who’s to pick,” he added.
