T20 World Cup | “Our flight is booked and off we go” – Suryakumar Yadav on boycotting Pakistan
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul acknowledged Sharif’s decision. “Thank you Pakistan,” Nazrul wrote in a post on social media.As the start of this contentious World Cup approaches, the captains of both the teams broke their silence on the issue while speaking at a pre-tournament press conference from two different locations – the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai and Colombo.“We didn’t refuse to play against Pakistan. They refused. The thinking is quite clear. We didn’t say no, it came from them,” Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said.“The ICC gave the match, the BCCI and the (Indian) government decided to play with the ICC at a neutral venue. Our flight is booked to Colombo and we are going,” he added. Salman Ali Agha, his Pakistani counterpart, said: “The India game is not in our control. It is the decision of the government and the PCB and we respect it. Whatever they say, we will do it.”“If we have to play them again in the semi-final or the final, we will have to go back to them (the government) and take their advice,” the Pakistan captain added. The Indian captain admitted that the situation is not “easy” for those involved in the matter, including the ICC.“I feel it’s not an easy job. It’s not my duty. I’m sure they (ICC) might also be working something out, but it’s come from another government or nation, how can they (ICC) help too? Their (Pakistan’s) decision is not in my control. I wish I could accept their decision, but then it’s their call,” Suryakumar said.“We were told that we have to play a match in Colombo on February 15. We played them three times in the Asia Cup, we played good cricket. We won (all the matches) and we were very happy. Similarly, if we get an opportunity in Colombo, we will definitely play,” he added.The International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier expressed serious concern over the Pakistan government’s decision.“This position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the basic premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms according to the schedule of the event,” it said. “This decision is not in the interest of the global game or in the interest of fans around the world.”