India and Pakistan will meet in a blockbuster clash at the T20 World Cup on June 9 in New York. This will be the first time the two sides meet this year, with their last encounter being at the ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad last year. The lack of frequency in matches between the two arch-rivals makes the match in New York highly-anticipated, and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has left no stone unturned to draw the American crowd's interest towards the high-profile game on Sunday.

Afridi likens the India-Pakistan clash to the hugely popular 'Super Bowl' in the USA, believing that the team that best manages its nerves will emerge victorious in the T20 World Cup showdown. The last time these two teams met in a T20 World Cup, it resulted in a historic match, with Virat Kohli delivering a spectacular win for India.

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"For those Americans discovering the tournament, they should know that Pakistan's game against India is like our Super Bowl," Afridi, who is an ambassador for the tournament, told ICC.

"I used to absolutely love playing India and I really believe it is the biggest rivalry in sport. When I played in those games, I got a lot of love and respect from the Indian fans and it means so much to both sides.

“Against India, it is about handling the pressure of the occasion. There is so much talent in both teams, they just need to put it together on the day. That will be the case in that game and in the tournament overall. The team that can hold its nerve will come out on top.”

‘Americans will warm up to cricket’

Cricket may not be among the popular sports in the USA, but Afridi believes the T20 World Cup will do good to promote the game.

"This is also a huge tournament for American cricket. I have always had a great time when playing in the USA and for those who have not experienced it, the conditions are similar to playing in the West Indies.

“People are going to love the support in the States. There is a great expat community over there which absolutely loves cricket. And the Americans absolutely love their sport, whether it is American football, basketball or baseball.”

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