Three factors around the India-Pakistan semi-final

As the countdown to the semi-final game between India and Pakistan begins in full earnest, it is interesting to see that the two sides have played down the issue associated with pressure in their own ways. Here is another list of thoughts for the game, which is probably one of the most important ever for most of those associated with it.

The sidekicks:
There are main players like Tendulkar, Sehwag, Afridi, Younis Khan, Umar Gul and Zaheer Khan, amongst others and then there are the sidekicks. The gut feel is that it is the likes of Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal who could hold the key to how the side does in the game. The reason for this is that the pressure will be relatively off these youngsters and with not too many noticing them, they will look to sneak past the opponents.

The fans:
In the stadium, the Indian fans will overshadow those from the across the border but it is the fans all around the country who will not only add pressure to the entire situation but for themselves as well. There have been many who have already exclaimed that they are very nervous, there are some who are experiencing goosebumps and some others who have told me that they will not watch the game because they are too scared that India loses when they watch.

The media:
The news is that the Indian media, belonging to the television industry has been kept away from the semi-finals and the final. It has been alleged by the ICC that the laws were flouted by the news television industry and that has meant that the ICC has put the shutters down. If the Indian television industry is not able to cover the game from the ground it could be a cause for a lot of trouble for them and in turn, the fans. However, even without the flouting of rules, there wasn’t too much doubt that the electronic media was hyping up the clash to something rather drastic, much more than a cricket game and calling it a war. Not the way one would have wanted it to go, is it?