Jos Buttler plays a shot during a match. File

Gulf Today Report

There is nothing like an India-Pakistan match. Ask any cricket buff in the Indian Subcontinent and he will tell you this. It sends the pulse racing, the heat of the excitement soaring, even TV ratings go north. The earnings from the telecast hit tremendous levels, so do advertisement charges. Nothing unites the two countries more than the passion for cricket.

And if it is a final, then the extravaganza hits a grand festive note. It turns out to be a mega carnival, with fans kitted out with funky attire and makeup, the drumbeat hitting a crescendo. Celebrities not just from the cricketing world but also from other walks of life make it a mandatory feature on their to-do list. Even Bollywood stars accord top priority to this match, setting aside all other programmes to watch the mother of all encounters on the pitch.

However some, like Jos Buttler, captain of the England team, don’t want to see this happen. Buttler wants England, which is facing India in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup, to spoil the party, according to a report in a section of the Indian media.

 “Well, we certainly don't want to see an India-Pakistan final,” thundered the batter, “so we'll be trying all we can do to make sure that doesn't happen.”

He said the England team are upbeat about taking on title contenders India in the tournament’s penultimate clash on November 10.

Buttler says the match is played in one of the best stadiums in the world against a brilliant Indian team, “which I'm sure will be well supported tomorrow. It's going to be a great occasion.