They might look unperturbed by the hype and hoopla surrounding the series but batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar admitted on Tuesday that contrary to popular perception, the players are not totally immune to the hysteria generated by an India-Pakistan cricketing encounter.
''When we play international cricket, it becomes competitive. But, to be honest, it rubs off a little bit on the players too when India and Pakistan are playing," said Tendulkar in Lahore. "The excitement is so much for the fans of both teams that it does rub on the players and you feel that this is a special series and a different one.
"It's all about competitiveness. Eventually we all go out and play cricket but it does get very hard.'
Asked whether it inspires him to raise his game, he said, ''The real inspiration comes when you wear the India cap. It really doesn't matter whom you play, you always want to go out and put up your best show. Still I am excited about it, and I am sure the whole team is excited about it. This is the tour we all look forward to,'' Tendulkar said.
According to the ace India batsman Shoaib Akhtar would be the player to watch out for from Pakistan.
''Akhtar at this moment is in good form and has been bowling well. But, having said that, Pakistan do have a good bowling attack, so it's not just Shoaib. You got to be on your toes, doesn't matter whom you are facing. After all, it takes just one ball to get out. They have a quality bowling attack and it's going to be a tough battle out there. However, Shoaib surely will be their strike bowler,'' he said.
Tendulkar, who broke the world record for the highest number of Test hundreds against Sri Lanka in the New Delhi Test, however ruled out having any personal targets for the series.
''I don't have a specific target. Quite simply, it's a big challenge for all of us. When I started playing, I never thought I would get 35 Test hundreds. I only wanted to enjoy my game. Over the years, it hasn't changed, so I would just like to play positively and enjoy my cricket,'' he said.
On whether India-Pakistan cricket had been overdone, Tendulkar quipped, ''Earlier, when we didn't play Pakistan so often people kept complaining why we don't play them. And now, when we are doing that, people still complain of playing too often.
''I think, we need to have the right interval between every series. It's important to find the right balance so that there is no overdose of India vs Pakistan and at the same time people are not deprived of India-Pakistan clash for too long,'' he said.