Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has asked his players to focus on cricket when they face India in the Asia Cup final on Sunday, after the previous two meetings between the sides caused tensions to run high.

Pakistan set up a first-ever Asia Cup final against India with a hard-fought 11-run win over Bangladesh in a Super Four match in Dubai on Thursday.

Bitterness that marred the past two India-Pakistan matches in this edition of the Asia Cup after Indian players refused to shake hands with their opposition after winning the group match. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav later said that he had the approval from the Indian government and the BCCI to break with the conventional camaraderie.

In return, Pakistan cancelled the customary press conference ahead of the Super 4 match. The players almost came to blows as they traded barbs in the middle. The official broadcaster also picked up Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, gesturing to the crowd in an attempt to rile them up.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav’s political statement after the first match and Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan’s provocative gestures while reaching 50 also added to the fury on both sides.

The Asia Cup ties were the teams’ first meetings since the Pahalgam attack and the Indian military retaliation named ‘Operation Sindoor’.

“Look, my message to the players is just focus on cricket and that certainly we will be doing. In terms of gestures, there has always been passion in terms of high-pressure games,” said New Zealander Hesson.

India comfortably had the better of Pakistan in the two previous matches, beating them by seven wickets in their Group A match and by six wickets at the Super 4 stage.

With that, India have stretched their unbeaten run against Pakistan to seven international matches dating back to 2022 — three one-day internationals and four T20Is.

Hesson said his team needs to be relentless against world champions India if they are to taste victory in the final. “We have to be good enough to put India under pressure for longer because there is a reason why they are ranked the top side in the world,” he said. “We have to put them under pressure and that will be our challenge.”

Pakistan managed a paltry 127-9 in the first match, which India chased down for the loss of just three wickets. They fared better in the second encounter but still lost by six wickets.

“I think the way we played against India in the last match was a huge step up from the first game,” said Hesson, a former New Zealand coach. “The first game was a bit passive; we allowed India to control the game.

“The last match we had that game by the scruff of the neck for long periods and it took an exceptional innings from Abhishek Sharma that took the game away from us.”

“We have deserved this opportunity so it’s now up to us to make the most of it,” added Hesson. “We have been trying to be in a position to win the trophy.”

‘Ready to beat India’
After the victory over Bangladesh on Thursday, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said he is leading a special team and can beat anyone, including India. “We know what we need to do, and we are a good enough team to beat anyone, and we will come on Sunday and try to beat them,” the skipper said.

Agha made special mention of Shaheen Shah Afridi, who bagged the player-of-the-match award for his all-round show. “Shaheen is a special player. He does what the team needs of him. Very happy for him. We were 15 runs short. The way we bowled up front, we will create pressure. We bowled well with the new ball. More often than not you will win games if you bowl like this,” he said.

“We have been fielding well… We have been having extra sessions. Mike Hesson said if you can’t field, you won’t be in the team.”
(With AFP & PTI inputs)