Centurion, Sep 25 - India should be inspired by the fact that they have never lost to Pakistan in an International Cricket Council (ICC) event when the two clash in the Champions Trophy here Saturday, never mind the state of the team's physical health with a fair share of injuries.

To be precise, the two sub-continental cricket giants are facing off in the country they last met two years and two days ago when India beat Pakistan to win the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in a breathtaking finish.

Pakistan have wrested the World Twenty20 title this year and the two champions will be meeting at a time when there is talk of dumping the 50-overs game from the ICC list of events.

The two teams can pump some oxygen into the 50-over format if they can take Saturday's no-hold-barred clash to the wire. An early Indian exit can not only cause immense disappointment to the hordes of expatriates here, but it can also hurt the commercial interests of the ICC. Everyone here is looking forward to a title clash between the two nations.

For Pakistan it is a big game as they have announced their return to international cricket by winning the World Twenty20 after international teams refused to visit that country for security reasons. The strife-torn country was starved of big-time cricket and eventually they had to play their matches in the Gulf. Now they are even playing their Test against Australia in England next summer.

A blend of youth and experienced players are trying desperately to prop Pakistan and a fit-again Younis Khan will be back to lead them in the crucial tie against India in their Group A match at the SuperSport Park after missing the game against West Indies with a hairline fracture in his little finger.

The rise of teenagers like Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal is the talking point in Pakistan cricket and so is the return of experienced players like Mohammed Yousuf, Imran Nazir and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan after hobnobbing with the now defunct rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Left-arm medium-pacer Aamer and dashing batsman Umar, younger brother of wicketkeeper Kamran, showed that they have the potential to be the future stars of Pakistan cricket with their impressive performances in recent months.

But all eyes will be on controversial fast bowler Mohammad Asif who is likely to feature against India after serving a one-year doping ban for testing positive in the first Indian Premier League (IPL).