“Separate sports and politics” - Indian coach opens up ahead of India vs Pakistan clash

The Indian team assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, who attended the pre-match press conference, has stated that it’s important to keep sports and politics separate, adding that people might have different opinions on the argument. 

Moreover, the assistant coach also asserted that the Indian team understands the position they are in and is following the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) and the Indian government’s message ahead of the much-awaited Pakistan clash.

Notably, ahead of the India vs Pakistan clash, the Indian government has made it clear that India and Pakistan shouldn’t meet each other in the bilateral series, but they can compete against each other in multi-team events.

"The other side of the argument is that you separate sports and politics, and people have got different opinions on that. And hopefully, the way we play can represent how the players feel about the country. And I understand the position and like I explained the sentiment, but we are following the direction of what the BCCI and the Indian government have decided is right for the country at the moment," Ryan ten Doeschate said in the pre-match press conference.

Moreover, Doeschate also reckoned that the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, is expected to go ahead with the same line-up without making any major changes to their playing XI against Pakistan.

India’s squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Pakistan’s squad for Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!