'Jab tak jung hai tab tak cricket ki rivalry rahegi' - Former Pakistan captain on IND vs PAK

TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has stirred the debate ahead of the Asia Cup final, saying the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry will never end as long as the political tension between the two nations continues. “There will be rivalry. Jab tak jung hai tab tak cricket ki rivalry rahegi. Ye khatam nahi hogi (As long as there is war, there will be rivalry in cricket. It will not end),” he told TimesofIndia.com on the eve of the summit clash. “But yes, India will continue to win. That is not a problem. But rivalry will always be there. It will continue,” Latif said. Latif also took a sly dig at Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who, after winning against Pakistan in the Super Four clash, had said there is no rivalry between India and Pakistan anymore. “You guys (media) should stop asking about the rivalry. If the two teams are playing 15-20 games and the scoreline is 7-7 or 8-7, then it is called rivalry. If the scoreline is 10-1 or 13-0—I don’t know the exact number—but this is not a rivalry anymore,” Surya had said on September 21.Also See: IND vs PAK Live Score, Asia Cup Final 2025 Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha strongly believes that they have saved their best for the final. “There is always a lot of pressure on Pakistan and India when they play each other, and if we say that there is no pressure, then it is wrong. Both teams will have the same amount of pressure,” Salman said at the pre-final press conference in Dubai. “We have made more mistakes than them, and that is why we have not won matches. If we make fewer mistakes than them, we will win. Whichever team makes fewer mistakes will win, and we will try to make fewer mistakes. “Inshallah, you will see us winning tomorrow. Our attempt is to play our best cricket. And we know that if we play our best cricket and execute our plans for 40 overs, then we can beat any team. And we will try to do that.” Rashid Latif further added that the pressure of the marquee clash will always be heavier on India. “The disadvantage will be for India. India has everything to lose. Pakistan has nothing to lose; they are already underdogs. If Pakistan wins here, it will be very tough for the BCCI, and also for some players who have been very vocal about this tournament—be it the captain’s statement, the board’s stance, or Shubman Gill’s tweet. There will be a lot of noise around that,” he remarked. Latif admitted that while India holds the edge in terms of skill and temperament, the unpredictability of T20 cricket leaves the contest wide open. “India is ahead in terms of skills. They can take pressure. But this is a T20 game. Anyone can win. So it is going to be a tough match,” he said.