The rivalry between the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams has gone beyond the field, with the Pakistan team being accused of playing mind games before their Super 4 encounter. Journalists who were at the competition say they heard Pakistani players yelling “6-0, 6-0” during a practice session in Dubai. The cry in question is a blatant reference to Pakistan’s allegations that they shot down six Indian fighter jets during a previous wartime conflict.
The most recent event makes things even more tense between the two teams. Tensions originally flared up during their group-stage match when Indian players wouldn’t shake hands with their Pakistani opponents after a big win. Later, Captain Suryakumar Yadav said that the team’s actions were a protest against the Pahalgam terror incident and a show of support for the victims and the Indian armed forces.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) then filed a formal protest with the ICC, asking for the dismissal of match referee Andy Pycroft, whom they said was biased and went against the “spirit of cricket.” The ICC, on the other hand, turned down the plea twice, saying that Pycroft had not broken any rules. Even though some complained, Pycroft has been chosen again to be the referee for the important Super 4 match.
Pakistan chose to boycott the obligatory pre-match press conference in protest, which added to the tension off the field. R. Ashwin, a former Indian cricketer, has publicly backed Pycroft, saying that Pakistan “created a needless spectacle” and made the match official a “scapegoat.” Everyone is watching the Dubai International Stadium right now to see if the teams can put their political differences and off-field drama aside for a high-stakes cricket match.