What is it about ’90s throwback photos that we all find so alluring? Is it the bright-color, high-flash style, which seemingly flatters everyone? The fact that they feature the same celebrities who still rule the industry today, except when they were more candid and less guarded? Or is it the pared-back fashion, a more relaxed red-carpet mood which feels fresh in today’s ultra-airbrushed landscape?
Well, whatever it is, there’s no denying their appeal, particularly if said shots are from the world’s most glamorous film festivals—sun-drenched, star-studded affairs where Hollywood heavyweights get to let loose and run riot. There’s Sundance, of course, and Cannes, but also Venice Film Festival, the latest edition of which kicks off on August 27. The latter has all the glitz and storied history of its counterparts, but with the added advantage of being set in one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful and romantic places on earth—a paradise of floating gondolas, glittering islands, ancient bridges, meandering canals, and pristine beaches.
Ahead of opening night, we revisit the best ’90s and aughts photos from the showcase, from Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas canoodling on a water taxi to Salma Hayek serving looks dockside.
After a sweeping rally for U.S. stocks Friday fueled by rising expectations of an interest rate cut next month, earnings from the world’s most valuable company and a key measure of inflation could command the spotlight this week.
Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) has been front-and-center in the AI boom, with surging sales on growing demand for the emerging tech. Investors will likely be watching for updates on its most advanced offerings, as well as its plans to navigate changing trade policies, when the company posts its quarterly results.
Investors can also look forward to the latest release of the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation, which could influence whether the central bank makes its first interest rate cut of the year in September.
Read to the bottom for our calendar of key events—and one more thing.
Nvidia Earnings To Highlight Strength of AI Demand
Nvidia’s second-quarter results due Wednesday could show whether the chipmaker continues to set the pace in the AI race, with analysts anticipating another sales record despite some headwinds from China export curbs.
Nvidia said in May that it expects to report growing revenue, though it warned of a hit from China export restrictions to the tune of $8 billion. The company could offer more updates on its business in China after making a deal with the Trump administration to share revenue from its AI chip sales there. Nvidia is also considering offering a variety of new products for the Chinese market in advance of government approval.
Some other companies set to report this week include chipmaker Marvell Technology (MRVL), Dell (DELL), CrowdStrike (CRWD), cloud provider Snowflake (SNOW), and engineering software maker Autodesk (ADSK), along with several Canadian banks.
Key Inflation Data Could Influence Fed Moves
A fresh update on inflation is set to come Friday, with the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index for July, after dovish remarks last week from Fed Chair Jerome Powell boosted expectations for a rate cut in September.
The June PCE report showed that inflation ticked higher that month, but a similar inflation report released earlier showed price increases in July were lower than some feared. The PCE report is the Fed’s preferred measurement of inflation, giving its reading potentially more impact with central bankers ahead of September’s interest rate decision.
This week will also bring a pair of consumer surveys, data on the U.S. trade balance, and housing market data, among other things.
Federal Reserve Officials Speaking: Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin
More Data to Watch: Durable-goods orders (July), S&P Case-Shiller home price index (June)
Key Earnings: Bank of Montreal (BMO), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), MongoDB (MDB), Okta (OKTA)
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Federal Reserve Officials Speaking: Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin
Key Earnings: Nvidia, Royal Bank of Canada (RY), CrowdStrike, Snowflake, Veeva Systems (VEEV), Agilent Technologies (A), HP (HPQ)
Thursday, Aug. 28
Gross domestic product – first revisions (Q2)
More Data to Watch: Initial jobless claims (Week ending Aug. 23), Pending home sales (July)
Key Earnings: Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), Dell Technologies (DELL), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM), Marvell Technology, Autodesk, Li Auto (LI), Affirm Holdings (AFRM), Dollar General (DG)
Friday, Aug. 29
Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) (July)
More Data to Watch: Consumer sentiment – final (August), U.S. trade balance (July), retail inventories (July), wholesale inventories (July)
One More Thing
A new partnership between CME Group and FanDuel will soon allow for “event contracts” on a wide variety of events, letting users make bets on the outcome of the latest inflation report, cryptocurrency movements, where the S&P 500 finishes, and a host of financial marketplace results. Investopedia’s Nisha Gopalan has more on that here.
An 8%-lit waxing crescent moon —”the new moon in the old moon’s arms” — will be visible in the west just after sunset on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Moon gazers across the globe will get the chance to catch a fragile lunar crescent in the western twilight sky on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. Just one day after the razor-thin newborn moon reappears, the waxing crescent will shine 8% illuminated, sitting just below and to the right of Mars. Though the Red Planet is fading in brightness, the pairing will be a rewarding sight for anyone with a clear horizon — and perhaps a pair of binoculars, too.
Where And When To Look
The crescent moon will become visible in the western sky about 30 minutes after sunset. At this very early stage of the lunar cycle, the moon lingers low on the horizon and sets soon after sunset, so observers have less than an hour to enjoy the view before both objects sink into the twilight haze.
Look due west, ideally from an open vantage point without trees, buildings or hills blocking the horizon. The moon will appear as a slim curve of light, hovering just below and slightly to the right of Mars.
An 8%-lit waxing crescent moon —”the new moon in the old moon’s arms” — will be visible in the west just after sunset on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025.
Stellarium
What You’ll See
The moon will be a delicate crescent in the constellation Virgo, its darkened surface faintly lit by “Earthshine,” the sunlight reflected from Earth’s clouds, ice and oceans. Mars, now getting dimmer, will glow faintly just above and to the left of the lunar crescent.
Since it reached opposition on Jan. 16 — its brightest and closest appearance to Earth since 2022 — Mars has been steadily getting fainter as Earth pulls away from it on its faster orbit of the sun. Mars eventually become lost in the sun’s glare by late November. The next opposition — when Mars once again shines brilliantly — will not occur until Feb. 19, 2027.
A 7.4% crescent moon (earthshine) is seen in Calascio, Italy, on January 13th, 2024. (Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Observing Tips
Catching the moon and Mars this evening requires a little preparation. Be outside 20–30 minutes after sunset where you are on Monday evening, and begin scanning low along the horizon. A west-facing overlook, beach, or open field offers the best chance. Binoculars will help you locate Mars if it’s faint against the twilight glow, but what they’ll be really useful for is studying the moon, whose entire disk may be faintly visible thanks to “Earthshine.” The ghostly glow looks fabulous in binoculars.
What’s Next in the Night Sky
This pairing is just the start of several beautiful evening arrangements. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the 14%-lit crescent moon will slide between Mars and Spica, Virgo’s brightest star. By Wednesday, Aug. 27, a 21%-lit crescent will shine next to Spica and Mars, with the brilliant orange star Arcturus directly above.
Mars’ Valles Marineris stretches nearly a quarter of the way around the planet’s equator. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)
QUICK FACTS
What it is: Candor Chasma, a large canyon on Mars
Where it is: Valles Marineris, the biggest canyon network in the solar system
When it was shared: Aug. 14, 2025
Mars has a huge network of canyons that stretches about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) across its equator. This canyon system, called Valles Marineris, is the largest in the solar system, dwarfing Earth’s largest canyon, which covers 460 miles (750 km) under Greenland’s ice sheet. (Condolences to the Grand Canyon and its mere 277-mile length.)
First imaged by NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1972, Valles Marineris has been captured by the HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter many times in its 19 years in orbit. However, this geological wonder still holds many secrets.
This latest photo, taken May 24 and published last week, is of the eastern side of Candor Chasma, one of the largest canyons within Valles Marineris. What it reveals could change how planetary geologists think about Mars’ ancient environment.
Using its ability to see detail down to the size of a kitchen table, HiRISE produced an image that shows layered deposits of sediment several meters thick, scientists at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, which developed and operates the camera, said in a description of the image. Crucially, these layers of sediment must date to after the canyon itself formed, because they appear to have been eroded, warped and bent by tectonic movements.
Related: 32 things on Mars that look like they shouldn’t be there
Mars doesn’t have plate tectonics like Earth does. Instead, its crust is like one giant plate, according to NASA. But faults and fractures still form in the Martian crust as it cools. Unlike Earth’s Grand Canyon, which was carved by a river, Valles Marineris — including Candor Chasma — is thought to have formed by volcanic activity, with landslides, floods and erosion later sculpting it into its present form.
In 2021, the European Space Agency (ESA) revealed that the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a collaboration between ESA and the Russian space agency, had found water beneath the surface in Candor Chasma. It’s thought that up to 40% of the near-surface material in Valles Marineris could be water. That would make it akin to Earth’s permafrost regions in Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Siberia, where water ice permanently persists under dry soil because of the constant low temperatures.
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With its steep walls and chaotic landscapes, Candor Chasma would be challenging for a Mars rover to explore. However, the German Space Agency’s Valles Marineris Exploration project would study the possibility of sending a swarm of autonomous rovers, crawlers and uncrewed aerial vehicles to this treacherous terrain.
For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives.
By separating Password Manager into an app, Google hopes to compete more directly with services like LastPass and 1Password instead of remaining hidden inside Chrome.
Google has released its Password Manager as a standalone app for Android, separating the service from Chrome for easier access. The new app allows users to quickly view and manage saved passwords, passkeys and login details directly from their phone.
The app itself does not introduce new features. It functions mainly as a shortcut to the existing Password Manager already built into Android and Chrome.
For users, there is little practical difference between the app and the integrated option, although some may prefer the clarity of having a dedicated tool instead of navigating through browser settings.
For Google, however, the move brings advantages. By listing Password Manager in the Play Store, the company can compete more visibly with rivals like LastPass and 1Password.
Previously, many users were unaware of the built-in feature since it was hidden within Chrome. The Play Store presence also gives Google a direct way to push updates and raise awareness of the service.
The app arrives with Google’s Material 3 design refresh, giving it a cleaner look that aligns with the rest of Android. Functionality remains unchanged for now, but the shift suggests Google may expand the app in the future.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Cheteshwar Pujara in action on day five of the 4th Test Match vs Australia in Brisbane (Images via Getty Images)
Cheteshwar Pujara, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Sunday, leaves behind a career celebrated for its patience, courage and resilience. Among the many innings that defined him, his 56 off 211 balls during India’s historic win at the Gabba in 2021 stands out,but not just for the runs, but for the sheer physical punishment he withstood. On the final day in Brisbane, as Australia’s fast bowlers launched a relentless barrage, Pujara was struck 11 times on his body. Pat Cummins hit him on the back of the helmet, below the neck, chest, thigh, bicep and once on the gloves.Mitchell Starc rapped him twice on the bottom glove, while Josh Hazlewood delivered three painful blows. One was on the arm above the elbow, the other on the gloves that even made him drop his bat, and finally on the helmet which saw his neck guard fall off.
Cheteshwar Pujara is seen to by a medic after being struck by the ball during day five of the 4th Test Match in the series between Australia and India at The Gabba on January 19, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Each strike was a painful blow, but Pujara refused to flinch. His 211-ball vigil blunted Australia’s pace attack and set the stage for Rishabh Pant to script one of India’s most famous Test victories. Explaining his mindset later, Pujara revealed why he chose to take the blows rather than fend them with the bat. “Getting hit on the head wasn’t very painful because you have the protection of a helmet. Yes, it looks very scary when you’re watching on TV and even as a batter you don’t want to get hit on the helmet … forget about the pain and the bruises … but talking about that pitch, I feel it had variable bounce. Especially from one end, the ball wasn’t rising much and then at times it was rising more than what I was expecting,” Pujara said back in 2021.
Cheteshwar Pujara is struck by the ball during day five of the 4th Test Match in the series between Australia and India at The Gabba on January 19, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“There was the option of defending with the bat, but it wasn’t the safe option because the ball could hit your glove and go to short leg, leg slip or gully or you can be out caught-behind. So I wanted to rule that option out. That is why I was taking blows on my body,” he added.
Cheteshwar Pujara is seen to by a medic after being struck by the ball during day five of the 4th Test Match in the series between Australia and India at The Gabba on January 19, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Pujara’s endurance earned praise from across the cricketing world. Sunil Gavaskar, paying tribute after his retirement, told TOI, “One of the old-school cricketers who put India above everything else. Took endless blows for Indian cricket but never took a backward step. Hopefully, Indian cricket will use his experience and expertise to teach young budding cricketers that whatever they become in life is because of Indian cricket and it should come above anything and everything. Take a bow, Cheteshwar. You have made India proud.”
Poll
What do you think defines Cheteshwar Pujara’s playing style the most?
In many ways, those 11 blows at the Gabba captured the essence of Cheteshwar Pujara — a batter who wore pain as armour, and stood tall when India needed him most.
Where all was Pujara hit and by whom?
32.5 overs – Back of helmet (Pat Cummins)
34.3 overs – Back below neck (Cummins)
36.2 overs – Back thigh (Cummins)
36.5 overs – Chest (Cummins)
30.1 overs – Left bicep (Cummins)
40.3 overs – Bottom glove (Cummins)
16.5 overs – Bottom glove (Mitchell Starc)
43.1 overs – Bottom glove (Starc)
44.3 overs – Arm above left elbow (Josh Hazlewood)
48.2 overs – Bottom glove, drops bat (Hazlewood)
50.5 overs – Helmet, neck guard falls off (Hazlewood)
President Zelensky said Ukraine would continue to fight for a secure and peaceful future, in an independence day address
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would continue to fight for its freedom in an address to the nation on its independence day.
“We need a just peace, a peace where our future will be decided only by us,” he said, adding that Ukraine would fight back against Russia “while its calls for peace are not heard”.
He continued: “Ukraine has not yet won, but it has certainly not lost.”
Zelensky’s remarks came after Moscow said Ukraine had attacked Russian power and energy facilities overnight, blaming drone attacks for a fire at a nuclear power plant in its western Kursk region.
There were no injuries and the fire was quickly extinguished, the plant’s press service said on messaging app Telegram. It said the attack had damaged a transformer, but radiation levels were within the normal range.
The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was aware of reports regarding the fire, while its director general added that “every nuclear facility must be protected at all times”.
The IAEA has repeatedly called on both Russia and Ukraine to show maximum restraint around nuclear facilities in the war.
Independence Day celebrations were held in Kyiv, as the country marked its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney took part in the celebrations, and stood beside Zelensky at St Sophia’s Cathedral as he addressed the crowd:
“I want to say something very simple and important: Canada will always stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”
He said drones, ammunition and armoured vehicles worth more than $1bn Canadian dollars (£534m) would be delivered to Ukraine as early as September, Ukrainian media reported. The deliveries would make up more than half of a support package he announced in July.
Also present was US envoy Keith Kellogg – whom Ukrainian media reported was awarded the Order of Merit, first degree by Zelensky during the ceremony.
After Zelensky thanked him and US President Donald Trump for their support, Kellogg could be heard telling Zelensky: “We’re going to make this work”.
EPA
Servicemen raised a Ukrainian flag in the capital Kyiv as independence day celebrations began
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, wrote on Telegram early on Sunday: “On this special day – Ukraine’s Independence Day – it is especially important for us to feel the support of our friends. And Canada has always stood by us.”
Meanwhile, Zelensky shared a letter from King Charles sending the people of Ukraine his “warmest and most sincere wishes”.
“I keep feeling the greatest and deepest admiration for the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people,” the King writes. “I remain hopeful that our countries will be able to further work closely together to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
Zelensky said the King’s “kind words are a true inspiration for our people during the difficult time of war”.
The UK government also said Ukrainian flags would appear above Downing Street in recognition of the anniversary.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that British military experts will continue to train Ukrainian soldiers until at least the end of 2026, with an extension to Operation Interflex – the codename given to the UK Armed Forces’ training programme for Ukrainian recruits.
Norway announced on Sunday that it would contribute about 7 billion kroner (£514m; $693m) of air defence systems to Ukraine.
“Together with Germany, we are now ensuring that Ukraine receives powerful air defence systems,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a statement.
The two nations are funding two Patriot systems, including missiles, with Norway also helping procure air defence radar.
Also on Sunday, Ukraine and Sweden announced they had agreed to joint defence production, with Sweden’s defence minister saying it would “boost Swedish rearmament and meet the needs of Ukraine’s armed forces”.
Pål Jonson wrote on X: “Ukraine will share and provide technology for its factories in Sweden and defence materiel co-produced in Sweden will be exported to Ukraine.”
Reuters
In Ukraine’s Independence Square, people pass a makeshift memorial to Ukrainians killed defending the nation
On Saturday, Russia said its forces in eastern Ukraine had seized two villages in the Donetsk region.
Russian forces have been advancing very slowly, and at great cost, in eastern Ukraine and now control about 20% of Ukraine’s territory.
A full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched by Russia in February 2022.
There has been intense diplomacy over the war this month, with US President Donald Trump meeting his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August.
The summit was billed as a vital step towards peace in Ukraine. However, despite both leaders claiming the talks were a success, Trump has since shown growing frustration publicly over the lack of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The US president has said he is considering either hitting Russia with further economic sanctions or walking away from peace talks.
“I’m going to make a decision as to what we do and it’s going to be, it’s going to be a very important decision, and that’s whether or not it’s massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or we do nothing and say it’s your fight,” Trump said on Friday.
Zelensky has repeatedly called for an unconditional ceasefire and his European allies have also insisted on a halt in fighting.
He has accused Russia of “doing everything it can” to prevent a meeting with Putin to try to end the war.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Putin was ready to meet Ukraine’s leader “when the agenda is ready for a summit, and this agenda is not ready at all”, accusing Zelensky of saying “no to everything”.
The open market dollar sale has recorded a sharp 50 percent decline this month, with currency dealers warning of renewed grey market activity that could pressure Pakistan’s exchange rate.
Banking market dealers noted that while remittance inflows remain steady at $3.2 billion in July, the steep fall in dollar sales is creating uncertainty. Open market money changers sold around $115 million to the banking system this month, significantly lower than the same period last year.
According to money changers, strict documentation rules for dollar purchases have reduced sales, with only small transactions of up to $500 being processed smoothly. A dealer, said the open market is facing a shortage of dollars, selling only what comes in from the public, while buyers appear to be snapping up the currency before it reaches money changers.
Money changers estimate sales for August may not exceed $200 million, compared to the average monthly figure of $350 million in FY25 and $300 million in July FY26.
Grey Market Rates Rise Amid Growing Dollar Demand
Concerns are also mounting about the resurgence of illegal markets in major cities, where rates fluctuate between Rs287 and Rs292 per dollar. These higher rates are attracting individual sellers and buyers seeking dollars for tuition fees or medical costs abroad, despite the difficulties in securing funds for such legitimate needs.
The official exchange rate has been falling since the government crackdown on smugglers and illegal operators. The dollar dropped by Rs4 in the open market, sliding from Rs288.50 on July 22 to Rs283.58 currently.
Bankers clarified that the decline in the open market dollar sale is not linked to changes in government incentives for banks and money changers. They emphasized that remittance inflows remain strong but warned that price controls are enabling grey market players to exploit the gap by offering higher rates.
Analysts suggest the market could stabilize with stronger foreign exchange reserves, consistent remittances, and improved ties with key partners like the US and China. They also advised the State Bank to avoid large-scale dollar purchases, as seen in FY25, to maintain liquidity and stability.
Optical microscopy is a key technique for understanding dynamic biological processes in cells, but observing these high-speed cellular dynamics accurately, at high spatial resolution, has long been a formidable task.
Now, in an article published in Light: Science & Applications, researchers from The University of Osaka, together with collaborating institutions, have unveiled a cryo-optical microscopy technique that take a high-resolution, quantitatively accurate snapshot at a precisely selected timepoint in dynamic cellular activity. Capturing fast dynamic cellular events with spatial detail and quantifiability has been a major challenge owing to a fundamental trade-off between temporal resolution and the ‘photon budget’, that is, how much light can be collected for the image. With limited photons and only dim, noisy images, important features in both space and time become lost in the noise.
“Instead of chasing speed in imaging, we decided to freeze the entire scene,” explains one of the lead authors Kosuke Tsuji. “We developed a special sample-freezing chamber to combine the advantages of live-cell and cryo-fixation microscopy. By rapidly freezing live cells under the optical microscope, we could observe a frozen snapshot of the cellular dynamics at high resolutions.”
For instance, the team froze calcium ion wave propagation in live heart-muscle cells. The intricately detailed frozen wave was then observed in three dimensions using a super-resolution technique that cannot normally observe fast cellular dynamics due to its slow imaging acquisition speed.
“This research began with a bold shift in perspective: to arrest dynamic cellular processes during optical imaging rather than struggle to track them in motion. We believe this will serve as a powerful foundational technique, offering new insights across life-science and medical research,” says senior author Katsumasa Fujita. One of the lead authors, Masahito Yamanaka, adds “Our technique preserves both spatial and temporal features of live cells with instantaneous freezing, making it possible to observe their states in detail. While cells are immobilized, we can take the opportunity to perform highly accurate quantitative measurements with a variety of optical microscopy tools.”
The researchers also demonstrated how this technique improves quantification accuracy. By freezing cells labeled with a fluorescent calcium ion probe, they were able to use exposure times 1000 times longer than practical in live-cell imaging, substantially increasing the measurement accuracy.
To capture transient biological events at precisely defined moments, the researcher integrated an electrically triggered cryogen injection system. With UV light stimulation to induce calcium ion waves, this system enabled freezing of the calcium ion waves at a specific time point after the initiation of the event, with 10 ms precision. This allowed the team to arrest transient biological processes with unprecedented temporal accuracy.
Finally, the team tuned their attention to combining different imaging techniques, which are often difficult to align in time. By the near-instantaneous freezing of samples, multiple imaging modalities can now be applied sequentially without worrying about temporal mismatch. In their study, the team combined spontaneous Raman microscopy and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy on the same cryofixed cells. This allowed them to view intricate cellular information from a number of perspectives at the exact same point in time.
This innovation opens new avenues for observing fast, transient cellular events, providing researchers with a powerful tool to explore the mechanisms underlying dynamic biological processes.
Legendary pacer Wasim Akram on Sunday warned players and fans of India and Pakistan to keep emotions in check ahead of their Asia Cup clash in the UAE next month. The rivals meet on September 14 at Dubai International Stadium, with potential Super Four and final encounters depending on their progress.
Wasim Akram has requested that fans of India and Pakistan don’t cross the line during their upcoming Asia Cup contest.
With the recent conflicts along the border of the two nations in mind, an already passionate, emotional, and sometimes bad-blooded rivalry threatens to boil over as the countries face off for the first time since the Pahalgam attacks and Operation Sindoor. With that in mind, Akaram demanded that the fans remain ‘disciplined’ and allow the excitement and the quality of the match to speak for itself.
“I am sure these matches will be entertaining, just like all other India-Pakistan matches. But I hope both the players and the fans will remain disciplined and do not cross the line,” said Akram while speaking on Telecom Asia Sport.
“If Indians are patriotic and want their team to win, the same goes for Pakistani fans,” expressed Akram, indicating that the love for the country and for the sport was intense on both sides of the border, but also making a plea that this should not cross over into something beyond the scope of the sport itself.
Akram expects India to start as favourites
While that might be a request that is easier to make than to follow through in the wake of the lives lost during the conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this year, the focus will also be on the cricket itself, where India will want to continue their recent strong run against their neighbours.
“India has been in better form recently and will start as favourites, but the team that handles pressure best on the day will win. This Asia Cup will be a feast for fans worldwide,” said the great pacer.
Beyond this upcoming contest, Akram also voiced his desire to see the two teams take each other on in a Test series, something that hasn’t taken place between the two nations in nearly two decades. However, he re-emphasised that the fans showing respect and discipline despite the recent history was integral to see out this vision.
“It’s my wish that India and Pakistan also resume playing a Test series. It’s been too long, and it would be a historic spectacle for fans on both sides, [but] fans must show discipline,” concluded the Pakistan great.
