Champions Trophy: IND vs PAK: High octane games offer players best chance to showcase skills, says Aaqib Javed

Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed emphasizes the unique pressure and charm of India-Pakistan games, urging players to focus on their skills.

Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed noted that the high-stakes nature of India-Pakistan games offers players the best chance to showcase their skills, and the extra pressure on the players gives this encounter its charm.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a knockout or whatever. It is beyond game, and that’s the beauty. If you look at the positive, it’s the best time and chance for any individual or team to make a mark,” said Javed.

“What is pressure? It is the thought of what will happen before and after a game. No one knows. Right now, we are all guessing what will happen in this match. This is the beauty of it.”

“Taking pressure is the job of the players. If you remove this pressure, what’s left in the Pakistan-India game?,” he rhetorically asked.

On playing this crucial encounter in Dubai, where India has already played one game and is bound to enjoy more crowd support, the 52-year-old stressed that players must not worry about the crowd factor.

“The team’s morale, wherever they play, even if they take the crowd out of the stadium, Pakistan-India game will have the same enthusiasm. This is the beauty of it. And what does the crowd do? The crowd supports you when you play well; they clap for you. When you play badly, whether it is India or Pakistan, your crowd starts chanting against you. So, you should not keep the crowd in your mind as a player,” he added.

The pitches in Dubai have been slower, and Pakistan has just one front-line spinner alongside part-timers like Salman Ali Agha (offie) and Kushdil Shah (left-arm spin). When asked if his side lacked the right resources for the conditions, Javed defended the selection.