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Cricket PlayersTeam India breaks silence on Pakistan's last-minute boycott U-turn: We always knew we would play
Ryan ten Doeschate said the development came as no surprise to the players, adding that they had always expected the fixture to go ahead.
The Indian camp offered its first reaction a day after Pakistan softened their stance on a potential boycott and put the marquee Group A clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup back on the table. The February 15 encounter in Colombo will be the third World Cup game for both teams.
Speaking to the media at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday, ahead of India’s second match against Namibia on February 12, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said the development came as no surprise to the players, adding that they had always expected the fixture to go ahead.
“First of all, it’s great that the game is back on. We never changed our preparation or our thinking that the game wasn’t going to happen,” ten Doeschate said. “We always had the impression that something would transpire and we would play, so it doesn’t really change the way we go about things.”
Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates
“We got confirmation late yesterday. We’d welcome another opportunity to play against a quality side, and it’s good for the team,” he added.
The confirmation from the Government of Pakistan came a day after an ICC delegation met PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi in Lahore, in the presence of Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took the final call after considering requests from several ICC member boards, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Emirates Cricket Board.
Ten Doeschate reiterated that the Indian camp prefers to stay clear of the political backdrop surrounding the fixture, while acknowledging that the decision was positive for the sport.
“We try to stay clear of all the politics. We understand the sentiments and the history between the two countries, but for us it’s important to focus purely on the cricket,” he said. “Going to Colombo will be a challenge, especially with Pakistan having been there for the last couple of weeks, but our focus is on bringing our best game to that fixture next week.”
