listen to this article4 minutes
information
Pakistan’s decision to withdraw its T20 World Cup boycott against India was welcomed by fans, players and coaches from both countries.
The much-anticipated showdown between the rivals has been in doubt for more than a week after the Pakistani government ordered the Pakistani team to take part in Sunday’s match in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The reversal late Monday came as a relief to millions of fans, tournament organizers and coaches in the two border countries.
The Indian team said they were “delighted” to play against a “high-quality team”.
“We are happy that the match has resumed. We did not change our preparation at all,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Dochate said on Tuesday.
India will play their second Group A match against Namibia in New Delhi on Thursday before heading to Colombo the next morning.
It means a quick turnaround for Sunday’s match, the biggest and most lucrative match in world cricket.
“It will be difficult for Pakistan to go to Colombo, where they have been for the past two weeks,” added the Duchate 10.
“We’re just focused on bringing our best game to the game.”
“Good for cricket.”
Pakistan’s decision to force the match was hailed as a burst of “common sense” and “good for cricket”.
After a frenetic weekend of negotiations, the heads of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board flew to Lahore on Sunday for talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The governments of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka sent letters to the Islamabad government on Monday asking it to change its position and allow the matches to take place.
“Following multilateral consultations and requests from friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to compete on February 15,” the Islamabad government announced on its official X account late on Monday.
It added that the decision was taken with the aim of “protecting the spirit of cricket”.
Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal told AFP news agency that the restart is “good for cricket”.
“I want strong teams to compete so as not to lose the appeal of the World Cup,” he said.
Sri Lanka, which hosts the matches that generate millions of dollars in advertising, broadcast rights, sponsorship and tourism, also praised the decision.
In a social media post, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for “ensuring the continuation of the game we all love.”
Pradeep Magazine, a veteran Indian journalist, said, “Common sense prevails on all sides.”
Financial considerations would also have been taken into account, he added.
“Everyone was aware that losing revenue from the India vs Pakistan match would be a lose-lose situation for all ICC member states.”
“There is no greater happiness than this.”
For fans, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch rivals face off in a world tournament.
Kafeel Ahmed, a cricket fan from Karachi, said the match between Pakistan and India was unique.
“The intensity is different. If Pakistan wins by 12 points, I couldn’t be happier,” Ahmed told Reuters. “This feeling of euphoria is the feeling you get after defeating an enemy, not just when you take on a rival.”
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2012-2013 due to long-standing political rifts.
“The benefits are not only that the people are happy and the young people who play cricket are happy, but also business and public interest,” said Rai Fayaz, a cricket fan.
Rajeev Shukla, vice-chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said on Tuesday he was glad a solution had been found.
“Kudos to the ICC for taking this initiative and resolving the entire issue and bringing cricket back to the forefront. This is a huge achievement as far as the ICC is concerned,” he said.
