Bharath Ramaraj from Dubai
Ahead of the India-Pakistan 2025 Asia Cup encounter, emotions have hit fever pitch, especially in the backdrop of Indian cricket fans calling for the boycott of the game because of the tragic incident that took place in Pahalgam.
Ryan Ten Doeschate, the assistant coach of the Indian set-up, shared his insight on the thoughts of the players about the escalations and the Pahalgam attack.
“It a very sensitive issue,” he told in the presser. “Players feel the emotion and sentiments of the public. This is what we have discussed in the team meetings. Players are here to play cricket. We are following government instructions.”
In the past, there have been instances where sportspersons have used a sporting event to ram home their perspective in relation to any tragedy or perceived injustice.
For example, during the 2003 World Cup game played between Zimbabwe and Namibia, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga stood up to Robert Mugabe’s regime by taking the field wearing black armbands to protest against “the death of democracy” in their country.
So, what does Doeschate think about using a high-profile tournament to highlight a point of view? “You separate sports and politics. I understand the sentiment but we are following directives of BCCI and government. We are going by what the government and BCCI told us.”
The former Essex all-rounder also observed that India weren’t sure of playing in the Asia Cup due to the escalation in tensions between the two nations.
“The waiting period whether the tournament or this match will happen was the most frustrating part. Now that we have got clearance, it is business as usual. We share the sentiments of the people back in country. But we just want to play cricket and get going with it.”
Amid all the talk about geopolitical escalations, the former cricketer also gave his opinion on the possible team combination for the tomorrow’s game, noting that the think-tank is “unlikely” to make changes.
He also said that India have the required players to adapt to different roles.
“There wasn’t too much to takeaway from the last game. The biggest difference in terms of wicket was it played differently in Champions Trophy. We have versatile players who can adapt. We are lucky with Sanju, Hardik, Axar, who can bat anywhere.”
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