'Our flights are booked': Suryakumar Yadav on India-Pakistan match
What's the story
India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has finally reacted to the ongoing row over the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup match against Pakistan. The game is scheduled for February 15 at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium. While Pakistan have announced their decision to boycott the fixture, Suryakumar informed that India will go ahead with their plans as they have already booked their flights for Colombo.
Captain's stance
Our mindset is clear, says Suryakumar
When asked about the Pakistan game on the captain's day in Mumbai, Suryakumar said, "I think the mindset is pretty clear. We have not said no to playing the match. It came from the other side. "The BCCI and the government have decided on a neutral venue along with the ICC. Our flight is booked for Colombo. So we are going for sure. The team discussion is that we are playing first on February 7, then we will go there."
Captain's empathy
'Not my call'
Suryakumar also showed understanding toward those making these decisions, noting that it's not an easy task and they must be working it out. He said, "It's not my call. It's not an easy job; they must be working out." This comes hours after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the decision to boycott the upcoming T20 World Cup match against India. He also showed support for Bangladesh, who were earlier ousted from the tournament after refusing to travel to India.
Agha's statement
What Pakistan skipper said on the fixture
On the other hand, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha earlier said they would abide by their government's decision to boycott the match against India. "India's game is not in our control. It was the government's decision, and we respect that. Whatever they are going to say, we will do that," said the Pakistan skipper. Notably, the Government of Pakistan announced the same on its official X account on February 1.
Row
How the matter escalated
The whole row stems from the BCCI's order to drop Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad. This prompted the Bangladesh government to officially announce that its team would not play matches in India. After the ICC rejected a series of requests from the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Scotland replaced the side. On the sidelines of this matter, the PCB showed support for the BCB. The former then announced its decision to boycott the India game on Sunday.