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Former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has said that "sports and politics are different" and "it is good" that Pakistan are playing the February 15 T20 World Cup match against India after reviewing their boycott move.
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Ganguly also noted that India-Pakistan matches have been good, but there has not been much competition in the last few years. "I am not aware of the talks on the government level, but it is good that they are playing. Sports and politics are different. It will be a good match. India and Pakistan matches have always been good; there has not been much competition in the last few years. I hope Pakistan plays well because India is a superb team and it is not going to be easy for them to defeat India," he said. The Pakistan Government, on Monday, directed its national cricket team to take the field on February 15, for their scheduled fixture against the defending champions, India, in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The decision came after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the outcomes of high-level talks between the PCB, the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), according to a statement by the Pakistan Government. Pakistan had previously decided to boycott their group-stage World Cup match against arch-rivals India, evidently in support of Bangladesh, who decided not to take part in the tournament after the ICC did not agree to the demand to shift their matches outside India over "security concerns". Pakistan's Prime Minister also spoke with Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the country's support during "challenging times." ICC held a meeting with the PCB and the BCB at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday to discuss Pakistan's decision to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match with India in Colombo. BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul also urged Pakistan to play their February 15 ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash against India. In their first Group A fixture, the Indian team defeated the USA by 29 runs, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav remaining unbeaten on 84 from 49 balls. The Men in Blue are in Delhi and will play Namibia on February 12. They are then scheduled to play the much-anticipated World Cup match against Pakistan in Colombo on February 15, before travelling to Ahmedabad for their final group-stage clash against the Netherlands on February 18. Team India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh. (ANI)
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