India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate revealed that the team remained undeterred when Pakistan initially pulled out of their T20 World Cup clash scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
Ahead of India’s match against Namibia on Tuesday, Ten Doeschate said the dressing room was maintaining a business-as-usual approach despite the uncertainty surrounding the fixture.
“We treated it as status quo until told otherwise. We assumed we would play. We try to stay out of politics and focus purely on cricket,” explained Doeschate.
Pakistan eventually reversed their decision and confirmed they will face India in what promises to be one of the highlights of the tournament. Ten Doeschate accepted the challenge of playing in Colombo, where Pakistan had been preparing for a fortnight.
“Going to Colombo will be a challenge, especially as Pakistan are there for a few weeks, but we are fully focused on playing our best game,” he added.
PAKISTAN’S INITIAL BUILDING AND THE IMAGE OF THE ICC
The It was initially announced by the Pakistani government will not take the field against India on February 15 in Colombo. This came as a result Bangladesh are replaced by Scotland in the tournament after being refused a trip to India, citing security concerns. Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, vocally supported Bangladesh.
The The PCB submitted five demands to the International Cricket Council during a key meeting on Sunday on Pakistan’s stance on boycotting the match against India. However, the ICC rejected three of these demands, standing firm on its position on bilateral cricket and tournament management.
The demands included a sanction-free provision for Bangladesh and a full share of the ICC’s revenue – a position the ICC had already independently decided upon. Pakistan also pushed for a compensatory global tournament for Bangladesh after last year’s Women’s World T20 was moved from the country to Dubai due to civil unrest, with the Under-19 World Cup next cycle suggested as a possible alternative.
More controversially, Pakistan demanded that the ICC encourage India to resume bilateral cricket with Pakistan. The ICC rejected the request outright, reiterating that bilateral series do not fall under its jurisdiction, even within the World Test Championship.
Proposals for an India-Pakistan-Bangladesh tri-series and for India to tour Bangladesh later this year – for the series postponed to 2025 – were also rejected. The
The ICC argued that it had no authority to order bilateral or trilateral series.
INDIA’S PREPARATION REMAINS UNCHANGED
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav had already set the tone during the pre-tournament captain’s meetingsuggesting that India would proceed as if the match was going on regardless of the off-field noise. The captain indicated that the team will fulfill all pre-match obligations and will take the match seriously.
Ten Doeschate’s commentary echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the team’s determination to stay focused on the manageable rather than getting distracted by political posturing.
The treatment of Bangladesh, which Pakistan believes was unfair, has been a focal point taken up by the PCB in its talks with the ICC over the past few days. However, India maintained a steadfast approach – keeping politics at arm’s length and focusing purely on the World Cup campaign.
With Pakistan now confirmed to play, the February 15 clash in Colombo will be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament. India will travel to Sri Lanka with Pakistan having enjoyed a two-week acclimation advantage, but ten Doeschate insists his side are ready to rise to the challenge and perform at their best when it matters most.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
February 10, 2026
