It’s one of the world’s fiercest sporting rivalries and previous showdowns have taken place while the countries have been at war, or used as an icebreaker between frosty leaders. But when India and Pakistan face off in cricket’s World Twenty20, love will be in the air amid a determination to ensure Saturday’s game soothes rather than stokes tensions.
Tensions have prevented the two sides from playing each other in Tests for more than a decade, and the match is only happening because the World T20 is an International Cricket Council tournament.
However, there never has and rarely will be shortage of patriotic fervour in matches between India and Pakistan. It’s not only the fans, but players themselves who are enthused for the encounter and often this enthusiasm has bordered on overboard.