'Close your room, switch off phone': Suryakumar tells teammates ahead of Pakistan clash

India captain Suryakumar Yadav has asked his players to ignore outside distractions as they prepare to face Pakistan again in the Asia Cup, amid continuing controversy over their earlier group-stage encounter.

The high-voltage tournament has been dominated by headlines surrounding the neighbours’ first meeting on the cricket field since their military confrontation in May. India won that match by seven wickets, but the post-match refusal of Indian players to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts fueled tensions.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later lodged a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft for a code of conduct breach, briefly considering withdrawing from the event before deciding to continue after an apology was issued.

Flanked by former PCB chairmen Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi, current chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore that Pycroft had formally apologised to captain Salman Ali Agha, the coach and team manager.

With the controversy still hanging over the tournament, Suryakumar offered simple advice for teammates struggling with external pressure.

Also Read: Pakistan cancel pre-match press conference before Super 4 India game

“Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep. I think that’s the best. It’s easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult,” he told reporters on Saturday. “It’s on you, what you want to listen to, what you want to have in your mind. I have been very clear with all the boys. It’s very important if you want to do well in this tournament and going forward. We will have to shut a lot of noise from outside and take what is good for you.”

Despite India’s earlier win, he dismissed the notion that it gave his side an advantage going into Sunday’s Super Four clash.

“I feel our preparation has been really good leading into the tournament. We have also had three good games, so we are actually focusing on what we can do best,” he said. “We want to follow all the good habits that we have been doing from the last two or three games. We take it one game at a time. It doesn’t give us an edge that we have played them once, and we had a good game. We have to start from scratch.”

When asked about the historic rivalry, Suryakumar laughed off the question.

“At that time, I don’t know. I have never played. So I can’t say,” he remarked. “If we talk about rivalry, I don’t know what kind of rivalry you are talking about. After going on the ground, I feel that the stadium is full. And when the stadium is full, I tell my team and everyone that it is time for entertainment. So many people have come to watch the match, so you have to entertain everyone. Let’s play some good brand of cricket. And according to me, we don’t think much.”

Asked about the “other things” that happened in the last match, without direct mention of the handshake incident, the skipper responded with a smile: “By other things, you mean we bowled well, isn’t it?”