The International Cricket Council (ICC) has devised a special strategy to prevent any political controversy during the much-anticipated Pakistan-India Women’s World Cup match on Sunday.

During Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s pre-match press conference, reporters attempted to ask questions related to the current political tensions between the two countries.

However, ICC media manager Sepoa Kazi issued clear instructions that no political questions would be entertained during the press conference, including those related to handshakes between the two teams’ players.

The decision comes in the wake of the recent men’s Asia Cup controversy, when several Indian players reportedly refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the match, prompting protests from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and drawing global attention.

Journalists were allowed to ask only cricket-related questions.

Following the ICC’s directive, the press conference began with Fatima Sana sharing details about her team’s preparations for the high-voltage encounter.

She said the team was fully focused on the game and had prepared extensively for the contest.

“We have trained hard for this match and our focus is entirely on cricket,” she said, adding that the final playing XI had yet to be decided.

Despite the loss to Bangladesh, Fatima insisted that Pakistan was still very much in contention in the tournament.

“We are not out of the event,” she asserted. “The team is determined to make a strong comeback. All the players are ready to perform well.”

When asked about the relationship between players from both sides, Fatima recalled that there used to be friendly interactions in the past, but said her current priority was to focus purely on cricket.

“We are aware of the current circumstances, but our complete attention is on the game,” she said.

The young captain expressed pride in leading the national side at such an early age and credited senior players for their support.

“Captaining Pakistan at this age is an honour,” she said. “Our senior players fully back me, and we are ready to play as one strong team.”