Misbah urges Pakistan to ignore off-field hype
Misbah says team that best forgets off-field animosity will win
Pakistan-India Cricket World Cup clash Such is the mutual animosity,
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq believes Sunday's Cricket World Cup clash
against India may be won off the field.Misbah believes the team which
can best forget the troubled history between the nations might prevail
in what is expected to be the most watched cricket game ever.
A television audience of one billion is predicted to watch a game
attended by a sell-out 53,000-strong crowd at Adelaide Oval.
Both Misbah and his Indian counterpart MS Dhoni concede white-hot
emotions will envelop the fixture between the arch rivals."Obviously
India-Pakistan is always a lot about pressure," Misbah told reporters on
Saturday."
But I think it is the way to go, that you just don't take anything
into the ground when you are playing against India - you don't have to
worry about what is happening outside, what has been going on in the
countries."It's about pressure and it is about the dressing-room and
what you are thinking about this game." You need to be really positive
in these sort of pressure games and that is how you really perform
well."India's Dhoni said meeting a bitter foe to start their World Cup
defence was perfect for his side which has logged just one win - in a
warm-up game against Afghanistan - since their Australian tour began in
November."
When you play Pakistan there is is definitely more intensity on the
field .. it will be a perfect scenario for everyone to raise their level
of performance," Dhoni told reporters on Saturday."
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