LONDON: The game that always ‘stops two nations’ comes again to a third when title-holders India face Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final at London’s Oval ground on Sunday.
And the question millions of cricket fans around the world, possibly even a billion, are all asking is ‘which Pakistan will turn up?’.
Will it be the team of their opening group match at Edgbaston on June 4, a 124-run thrashing by arch-rivals India, where some often thoughtless bowling and timid batting were only outdone only in their ineptitude by woeful fielding during an all-round performance labelled “shambolic” by Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur?
Or will it be the slick, skilled side who hammered England by eight wickets in the semi-finals, with Hasan Ali, the competition’s leading wicket-taker, spearheading a brilliant bowling effort as the previously unbeaten tournament hosts were dismissed for just 211 before the likes of Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman helped knock off the runs in dashing style?
When it comes to assessing most teams, the temptation is to look at their most recent result as a form guide.
But not only have Pakistan, the lowest ranked team in a tournament featuring the world’s top eight One-day International sides, long been regarded as world cricket’s most “unpredictable” outfit, they have lost all three of their previous knockout matches against India at International Cricket Council tournaments.
“We’ve got nothing to lose — the pressure is more on them (India),” Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood told reporters at The Oval on Friday.
“But I can tell you one thing — we have come to win,” the former all-rounder, who spent several seasons with Oval-based Surrey, added ahead of Pakistan’s first match of the tournament at the ground.
“History can change, and I hope we can (change it).”
The Oval was where, back in 1882, England’s defeat by Australia led to a mock obituary in a newspaper referring to the “ashes” of English cricket and hence the name for all future Anglo-Australian Test series.
But few would dispute that India-Pakistan is now the world game’s premier contest — certainly not the ICC who, by their own admission, now fix the draw at their events to ensure the Asian giants meet in the group phase.