Former captain and head coach Moin Khan urged Pakistan players not to become too friendly with Indian players on the field, even as the two long-time rivals are set to meet in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy on February 23 in Dubai. Tough as nails during his playing career, Moin said that the players should respect their opponents but noble bonds should never be allowed to be crossed. “I just don’t get it these days. When I watch our players go in against the Indian players these days, they check each other’s bats, pat each other on the back, and have a little friendly talk,” he said during the podcast done with actor Ushna Shah.
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Moin said that he was not at all against having respect for rival players but over-familiarity could spell loss of respect.
“Ever since our former cricketers taught us, whenever India was on the opposite side, you should never show them any quarter, more so, there is no need to chat with them on the field. When you do that, you automatically provide them a sign of weakness,” said Moin, himself a famed wicketkeeper-batsman.
The 53-year-old said he respected many of the Indian players of his generation but could never let such on-field expressions show.
“I cannot even begin to fathom what our players were doing on the field back then against India. On-field professionalism dictates that you should not show any such goodwill,” said Moin, who had a short stint with the now-defunct Indian Cricket League, having told his colleagues not to indulge in friendly conversation during the matches.
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“This is something I think our boys do not realize but being overly friendly is considered a sign of weakness on the field, and one would automatically start to feel the heat of performance pressure.” Moin stated that one of the major regrets held by players from his time is the inability to defeat India in a World Cup match.
Moin, having played in 69 Tests and 219 ODIs, was of the opinion that Pakistan too, along with India, is one of the top contenders for the Champions Trophy.
