Champions Trophy: 'Avoiding tension during India vs Pakistan match impossible'

Though the players of both camps have tried their best to keep away from the political views and counter views around the match, the undercurrents are palpable given the cautious replies coming from either camps in the build-up to the game. Would they have been so cautious in speaking their mind if the opponents were England, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand? We are not sure.

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But India's left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan, who had been successful against Pakistan in all formats, said no matter what the players say, the pressure and tension of an India-Pakistan cricket match, is "always there at the back of the mind". "No matter how much a player tries to take it as any other game of cricket, it is not possible. The tension is always when India plays Pakistan. You just can't avoid it," said Irfan during a conversation with mid-day from Vadodara where he is spending time with family for the holy month of Ramadan.

"It comes naturally, because they too play very aggressively whenever they play against India. The India-Pakistan rivalry on a cricket field is unparalleled. It is way bigger than any other sporting event. No doubt the hype around the game is a lot more among fans and the media than the players. We, the players, always try to take it as any other game, stay normally, play normally, but it's not possible," added the speedster whose three-wicket burst almost helped India pull off a win in a low-scoring tie in the 2004 Champions Trophy at the same venue where India play Pakistan on Sunday.

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