NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan kicked off the mind games ahead of their World Cup semifinal blockbuster Sunday while New Zealand attempted to halt a three-pronged Asian assault on the title. Pakistan, the 1992 champion, insists all the pressure will be on India in Mohali Wednesday where the hosts' status as tournament favorite will come under scrutiny from a 30,000 crowd made up almost entirely of home support. “If India were going to win the World Cup, this is their best chance,” said Imran Khan, who captained the 1992 Pakistan title-winning team. “I am not trying to play mind games, but the fact that they are favorites and are playing at home will means they are under more pressure. “My advice to the Indian team is to take sleeping pills, otherwise they won't be able to sleep,” added Imran in his Hindustan Times column. Pakistan is keen to ramp up the psychological battle, fully aware of the significance of the first meeting of the two rivals on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. They also know that the number of Pakistan fans inside the PCA stadium will be limited to a trickle of VIPs, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and cricket officials. Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam, a former Test skipper and coach, has appealed for calm between the two sets of fans ahead of the game. “Let it remain as cricket and don't make us feel as if we are standing on a war front,” he said. Sri Lanka will hope to make it an all-subcontinent final when it tackles New Zealand in the first semifinal in Colombo Tuesday. Sri Lanka, the 1996 champion, made the last four with a 10-wicket rout of England while the Black Caps defied all expectations by defeating South Africa. “It is important to be confident but we should be realistic. New Zealand will be hungry for a place in the final and so are we,” said Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara. Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by 112 runs in the group stages in a bad-tempered affair where former captain Mahela Jayawardene refused to walk despite claims of a clean catch by Nathan McCullum. The Kiwis have lost in the World Cup semifinals to the West Indies (1975), England (1979), Pakistan (1992 and 1999) and Sri Lanka (2007) but top batsman Ross Taylor feels the current team has the ability to go one step further. “We are proud of our history of making it to the semifinals,” the 27-year-old said Sunday. “But this team want to make history and go one step further and make the final. We believe we can do that and we want to show it Tuesday.” Yuvi's dad provides clue to ‘special' person Yuvraj Singh has plunged an entire cricket-crazy nation into a stifling suspense with his reference to a mystery person he attributes his red hot form to. His father reckons it could well be Sachin Tendulkar. In the post-match press conference on Thursday, Yuvraj said he was playing the tournament for a “special person”, whose identity he would only reveal if India reached next Saturday's final. The speculation has not stopped since and his father Yograj, a former India player, hinted it could be Tendulkar. “I would not be surprised if he meant Sachin,” Yograj said Sunday. “Sachin has been a huge influence in his life over the last 11 years or so. He has always been there when Yuvraj was going through a difficult phase in his career. “Sachin is not just a great cricketer but also a great human being. He has been Yuvraj's guiding angel. My son is very close to him and shares things he would not share with anyone else.” Poor form and injuries blighted the career of Yuvraj. Yograj said his son owes the turnaround to Tendulkar. “Sachin must have been my son in previous life or some other close relation. He has been the best thing to happen to Indian cricket and also to Yuvraj,” said Yograj, a former medium pacer who played his only test against New Zealand in 1981 at Wellington. “He advised Yuvraj to keep working hard and maintain focus. Frankly speaking, any cricketer who has listened to Sachin has benefitted. “When he eventually retires, the cricket board should appoint Sachin the mentor of the Indian cricket team. He can turn any ordinary player into a phenomenal cricketer.”
