Gautam Gambhir wasn’t impressed with the bonhomie between India and Pakistan players on the field during their Asia Cup 2023 group meeting recently and suggested that they forget friendship while the contest is on.
In the lead up to the highly-awaited clash between the two neighbours, clips of players from both the teams in Pallekele meeting each other during a training session were widely shared on social media.
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Gambhir though seemingly isn’t against the opponents striking friendship but feels it’s not needed when they are facing each other as rivals on the field.
“When you play on the field for your national team, you must leave the friendship outside the boundary ropes. Game face hona zaroori hai. Dosti bahaar rehni chahiye. (It’s important to have a game face. The friendship can remain outside during the match). There has to be aggression in the eyes of both sets of players. You can be as friendly as you want after those six or seven hours of cricket,” Gambhir had said.
“Those hours are very important, because you’re not just representing yourself, you’re representing a nation of over a billion. These days you see players of rival teams patting each other on the back and exchanging fist bumps during a match. You would never see that a few years ago. Aap friendly match hi khel rahe ho,” he added.
Former Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi though is happy with the way players have treated each other and reckons that the relations between India and Pakistan can only be improved through cricket.
“It’s a very good thing, I have always looked at it as a positive thing. We are ambassadors of our nations apart from being cricketers. The relations between India and Pakistan can only be improve through cricket, keep politics away from it,” Afridi told Pakistan media recently.
He also differs from Gambhir’s suggestion that players shouldn’t be friendly to each other during a contest.
“That’s his view, mine is different. We are cricketers and ambassadors, we have well-wishers across the borders. It’s better to spread message of love. Aggression is fine but there’s life off the field too,” Afridi said.
The first contest between the two teams ended in a no result due to rain and there’s forecast of rain on the day of their Super Four clash later this week as well.
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