Hyderabad: Before the start of the 2021 T20 World Cup match against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday night, the Indian cricket team showed their support for the Black Lives Matter movement by taking the knee. Pakistan team members also paid tribute by placing their right hand over their chest.
It is worth noting as both India and Pakistan have a very bad record of protecting their own minorities and were displaying solidarity with African-Americans in the US. India has been widely criticized for its state-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir and Assam, and Pakistan has received flack for its treatment of Ahmadiyas and Shias.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to field first against India in their opening match of the ongoing ICC men’s T20 World Cup here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking at the toss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said, “We are going to bowl first. We’ll look to take early wickets and put pressure. Dew is also a factor. We have had good practice sessions and am confident about our preparations. Pakistan’s bowlers are known to trouble other teams but I am confident about our batting too. Haider Ali is left out.”
After almost over two years, Kohli and Co. are facing off against Babar-led Pakistan and rekindle the age-old rivalry. Pakistan is yet to get a one-up over India in World Cups as the head-to-head has been heavily dominated by the Men in Blue.
However, both teams have entered the tournament with a fresh perspective, filled to the brim with enormous young talent and the hunger and eagerness to prove themselves on the biggest stage of them all.
India Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Suryakumar
Yadav, Rishabh Pant(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.
Pakistan Playing XI:
Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi