ISLAMABAD: Cricket is just a game, but tries telling that to the 22 players who will walk out for the India vs Pakistan World Cup match in Adelaide on February 15.
The Pool B contest was sold out in 20 minutes and no other team in world sport will be under as much pressure as the two stepping out on the ground that day, with 1.3 billion unforgiving cricket-crazy fans following the contest.
Emotions run high every time the south Asian neighbours face off on a cricket ground. But Pakistan, champions in 1992, have never beaten twice winners India at a World Cup, The gulf news reported.
Many of their fans would not mind their team crashing out from the World Cup early, provided they beat their neighbours. "For many, it's bigger than World Cup," former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar told a cricket conclave in New Delhi.
"It completely locks out 1.3 billion people. The tension is unbearable and the players' effort level doubles. We could never beat India in the World Cup but, God willing, that will soon happen," said the fearsome fast bowler known as the `Rawalpindi Express'.
A veteran of many such contests, Harbhajan Singh was part of the Indian team that beat Pakistan in the 2011 semi-final at Mohali and he admitted the contest gave him sleepless nights.
"The dressing room atmosphere is always tense," said the feisty off- spinner, who didn't make the cut for this year's World Cup.
"Much before the dressing room, you think about it in your hotel room. Before last World Cup's match in Mohali, I could not sleep the night before, thinking `what if we lose?'.
"Fortunately we won the next day and again I could not sleep, this time because I was so overjoyed.
"A defeat against Pakistan means the media would roast us and fans would pelt stones at our house," added the 34-year-old.
His teammate from the 2011 squad, Piyush Chawla, said the pressure does not come from the team management.
"It comes from elsewhere. Even family members and friends remind us it's a match against Pakistan," said the 26-year-old leg-spinner.
"Fielding in the deep, you often hear the crowd behind warning you `better win this match or it won't be easy to get out of the stadium'."
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