'Talking About India Is Banned': Pakistan A Skipper Mohammad Haris Reveals Strict Dressing Room Rule

Pakistan A skipper Mohammad Haris has revealed that discussions about their upcoming match with India A are strictly off-limits in the dressing room. India A and Pakistan A are scheduled to face each other in an epic clash at the 2024 ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup. The match between the two arch rivals is scheduled to take place on Saturday (October 19).

Explaining Pakistan’s strict dressing room rule, Haris said that the ban has been imposed to prevent the young players from feeling added pressure ahead of the highly anticipated fixture.

In a video going viral on the internet, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper can be heard saying, “Talking about India is banned in the dressing room. Players feel pressure when thinking about the match against India, and we don’t want to put them under pressure.”

Haris also emphasised how the Pakistani team is focusing on all their opponents in the tournament and not just India.

Referring to Pakistan A’s other group games, he said, “Our preparations are going well. We’re not just focusing on India, but we’ve got important matches against other teams too, like Oman and the UAE.”

Haris recently paricipated in the 2024 Champions One-Day Cup organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The 23-year-old served as the captain of Team Stallions in the tournament. Talking about his experience as skipper, Haris added, “Captaining different teams, including senior players, has been a valuable experience.”

Haris’ stint with the Stallions in the Champions One-Day Cup was fairly successful, with the team making the domestic tournament’s play-off stage. The Lions knocked out the Stallions on September 25, beating them by 12 runs. Haris put up a 30-run knock in the playoff game, but it just wasn’t enough for a victory.

As for the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024, the tournament is set to begin on October 18. Haris will now aim to guide a team of young Pakistan cricketers to Asian glory at the ACC event. Following their opening clash against India, Pakistan will face Oman on October 21 before squaring off against UAE two days later.

The Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 will feature two groups. The other group comprises teams including Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka A. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals that are to be held on October 25. The tournament final has been scheduled for Sunday next week, October 27.