Pakistan A Captain Reveals Ban on Discussing India Ahead of Emerging Asia Cup Clash

Add as a preferred source on Google

Pakistan A captain Mohammad Haris has revealed a surprising new approach ahead of their opening match against India A in the Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024. The 23-year-old disclosed that his team is under strict instructions not to discuss India in the dressing room as part of an effort to reduce pressure on players.

In a video that has gone viral, Haris stated, "Aapko ek baat batau. Pehli dafa hoga ke iss dressing room mei Bharat par baat karne pe pabandi hai (I will tell you one thing; it's the first time ever that we are not allowed to talk about India in the dressing room)."

Haris, who has played for Pakistan's senior team, explained that constantly thinking about matches against India places unnecessary pressure on players. "Talking about India is banned in the dressing room. Players feel pressure when thinking about the match against India, and we don't want to put them under pressure," he added.

Haris emphasized that while India is a key opponent, the team is equally focused on their other group-stage rivals, Oman and UAE, stating, "We have to play the whole tournament. Our matches are against Oman and UAE as well along with India. All the teams are important for us. We are preparing equally for all of them."

Pakistan A, also known as Pakistan Shaheens, are defending champions of the tournament and will kick off their campaign against India A on October 19, followed by matches against Oman on October 21 and UAE on October 23.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the final scheduled for October 27. Haris, who led Pakistan to the title in last year's Emerging Asia Cup, highlighted the need to approach the tournament with a balanced mindset.

"We don't have to think (only) about India, we have to think about other teams as well," he said. His focus remains on securing another title for Pakistan, noting that the team's goal is to perform consistently across all matches.