India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate shared a big statement on the eve of the match against arch-rivals Pakistan which is set to be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. There has been a lot of discussions ever since the clash between India and Pakistan was announced to take place in the tournament.
It is due to the fact that political relations between the two countries deteriorated to a new low earlier this year. It all began with the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April which saw 26 innocent Indian people lose their lives. Then, India decided to launch Operation Sindoor as a way of retaliation and dismantled terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.
Many have been against the idea of India and Pakistan clashing against each other and BCCI has also faced a lot of scrutiny over the matter. Now, ten Doeschate has given his take on the match against the Men in Greeen and has stated that even though it is quite a sensitive topic, the Indian government has given them the clearance to play and that is why the match is going ahead.
"It is a very sensitive issue. Players share the compassion with people in India. You know the Indian government has given us the clearance. We know the feelings of the people," ten Doeschate said at the pre-match press-conference.
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Doeschate further remarked that sports and politics shouldn't go hand in hand and added that the team is just following the directions of the government.
"You separate sports and politics, there are different opinions around it. We are following the directions of the government," ten Doeschate stated.
India began the tournament on a high
Meanwhile, India come into the clash against Pakistan having dismantled hosts UAE in their previous game. The Men in Blue began their Asia Cup campaign with a thumping 9-wicket win over the Muhammad Waseem-led side. Suryakumar Yadav & Co. dominated in both the batting and bowling departments during the match as they first bundled out UAE for just 57 runs before chasing down the modest target in 4.3 overs. If India do record a win against Pakistan, then they will definitely become the favourites to qualify for the Super 4 stage from Group A.