India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav announced on Thursday that his team will head to Colombo for the ICC T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, despite Pakistan’s decision to boycott the game.
The match is set for February 15, but Pakistan’s team has been instructed by their government to withdraw after Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland due to security issues regarding playing in India. “Their choice is out of my hands. I wish I could influence their decisions, but it’s up to them. We’ve already played them in the Asia Cup,” Suryakumar stated during a press conference for tournament captains.
The World Cup kicks off on Saturday, with India facing the USA in their opening game that evening. “We have a clear mindset. We haven’t declined to play against Pakistan; they have. The ICC has scheduled the match. Our flights are booked, and we are going to Colombo. We play first on February 7, then we will head there,” he explained.
“We’ve had some strong performances against them. We’ve been informed the match is on the 15th, at a neutral location, and we are ready to play if the opportunity arises. It’s a tough situation for the Pakistani players as well,” he added.
