Less than 24 hours before Sunday’s much-anticipated group fixture, both camps insist the conversation begins and ends with bat and ball.
Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana, speaking after training on Saturday, even suggested India are “just another opponent” when play starts. India’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi struck the same note, repeating that “the area of focus is cricket”.
Facts first: the match is in Cape Town, it is Pakistan’s opener, and for India it could shape early momentum in a tournament that stretches almost five weeks. Each side fronted the media only briefly, having already asked reporters to stay on cricketing themes, and there was no sign of the diplomatic dramas that dogged last month’s men’s Asia Cup.
A handshake? Nobody knows. The men’s teams avoided one in Colombo and, earlier this week, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia declined to guarantee anything different. Neither women’s squad would be drawn, and, by Saturday evening, no official position had emerged.
Yet Sana reminded everyone that relations on the women’s circuit have generally been warmer. She pointed to the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, when Indian players helped soothe then-Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof’s infant daughter in the dressing-room tunnel – images that went viral.
“We have great relationships with all other teams, and we try and keep good relations with everyone,” Sana said a day ahead of the match against India. “We’ll try to do everything within the spirit of the game.”
She continued: “Those pictures in the past with everyone mingling with each other around Bismah’s daughter – those scenes look good and everyone enjoys seeing that. But, of course, our focus has to be on what we’re here for – to play.”
Recent geopolitics have been less friendly. The two governments still bar bilateral cricket, leaving ICC events as the only meetings. Player interaction has narrowed too – witness the cool Asia Cup just gone – but Sana insists her squad are insulated.
“We’re like a family of 20-22 people here,” Sana said of the Pakistan team environment. “We don’t really worry about what’s going on outside our bubble. We get to hear about things happening external to cricket, but we focus on our game. The World Cup is something every player waits for, so we just want to focus on the thing we’ve come here for.”
Salvi echoed that approach. “The area of focus is cricket,” he said. “We want our girls to bring that ‘A’ game to the day. We want them to take it just as a game, because the World Cup is a long campaign. It’s a long campaign – there will be a lot of games coming up.”
Analysis, briefly. India arrive with a balanced attack and batting line-up that scores quickly through the middle overs, while Pakistan lean heavily on seam, Sana included. Both sides know early points are gold in a round-robin format where slip-ups are punished later.
Politics will hover, but, if players have their way, it will stay outside the boundary ropes.
