T20 World Cup Press Conference: ‘We’ve been told we have to play game on 15th’ – Suryakumar Yadav on Pakistan boycotting India game
All Team Captains T20 World Cup Press Conference Updates: With just two days left for the start of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said that the Indian team would be flying to Colombo for the group stage game against Pakistan, even though their arch-rivals have announced they would be boycotting the game.
“Humne manaa nahi kiya hai khelne. Unhone mana kiya hai. Hamara flights booked hai Colombo ke liye (We have not refused to play against Pakistan. They have refused. Our flights for Colombo for the Pakistangame are booked),” Yadav said in a press conference.”
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Answering another question about the Pakistan situation, the Indian captain said: “I feel their decision is not in my control. We have been told we have to play a game on 15th. We played them thrice in Asia Cup. we played well. We have a game to play on 15th.”
Meanwhile, at a press conference in Colombo, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha had said: “The India game is not in our control. It’s the government’s and the PCB’s decision and we respect that. Whatever they are going to say, we will do that.”
Thursday saw all captains addressing the media in two separate press conferences. The first press conference was e held in Sri Lanka’s Colombo, where the captains of Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, UAE and Zimbabwe will speak. Later in the day, captains of India, Afghanistan, Canada, England, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, USA and West Indies addressed the media in Mumbai in groups.
The press conferences come on the heels of a massive controversy with Bangladesh being ejected from the T20 World Cup just weeks before the start of event for refusing to play games in India. Pakistan, in the aftermath of Bangladesh’s ouster, refused to play against India in a group stage game that was to be played in Sri Lanka.
Scroll down to check out all the updates from both press conferences of the T20 World Cup
Live Updates
Pakistan cricket board might enforce Force Majeure with ICC, BCCI says it’s a ‘weak argument’
India and Pakistan players line up ahead of their match at the 2024 T20 World Cup. (AP)
Anticipating sanctions from the International Cricket Council (ICC) over their last-minute withdrawal from the T20 World Cup game against India in Colombo on February 15, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) might enforce the Force Majeure clause in their defence, The Indian Express has learnt.
The clause refers to unforeseeable circumstances that can prevent a contract from being fulfilled. And in their expected communication to the international body, sources said, the PCB will justify their stand by attaching their government’s social media post on February 1 that instructed them to boycott the India game.
