After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided against touring Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma responded to the off-the-field tensions between the Pakistani and Indian cricket bodies.
India won’t be traveling to Pakistan for the Asian event, according to a unilateral announcement made by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday. The board will insist on a neutral place for the competition, Shah added.
Speaking about the ongoing issue, Rohit said that the decision will be taken by the BCCI. “We are focusing on the T20 World Cup for now,” he said.
The captain expressed his hope for a complete game against Pakistan tomorrow (October 23). Rain is likely to interfere with the game since Melbourne is forecast to have showers on Sunday, according to the weather department.
“Pakistan’s bowling is very good and can be challenging for us, however, our batting is good too,” he added.
In a pre-match press conference in Melbourne on Saturday, the Indian captain said: “I do not want to use this word pressure, but it is constant. It is not going to change ever. I would like to take this as a challenge. This Pakistani team is a very challenging team, all the Pakistan teams I have played against from 2007 to 2022, have been good teams.
It is just that, I believe on that particular day, kind of thing. On that particular day, if you are good enough, you will beat any opposition. And on the day if you are good, you will take the win and go home. Pakistan have been good in the last World Cup, they beat us.”
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series for close to a decade now. The last time they played one was back in 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India for three ODIs. Since then, the two sides have only met in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.
