Pakistan to skip India match in T20 World Cup, captain says not players’ decision
The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on Feb 7.
KATHMANDU: Pakistan cricket team captain Salman Afzal has clarified that the team’s decision to skip the upcoming T20 World Cup match against India was not made by the players.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday after Pakistan completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Australia in the T20 series, Afzal said, “This is not our decision. There is nothing we can do. Whatever our government and board decide, we will follow.”
Pakistan has announced that it will boycott the match against India scheduled for Feb 15, while the government confirmed that the team is permitted to participate in the rest of the tournament.
The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on Feb 7.
Both India and Pakistan are in Group A, raising the stakes of the upcoming match.
The government’s decision has added controversy and uncertainty to the tournament, highlighting the ongoing impact of South Asian geopolitics on cricket.
Previously, Bangladesh refused to play on Indian soil citing security concerns and requested to move its matches to Sri Lanka.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected this, instead including Scotland in the World Cup in Bangladesh’s place.
