Dubai: India’s fielding coach Ryan Ten Doeschate said Saturday that players are aware of the public sentiment surrounding their Asia Cup match against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. He added that head coach Gautam Gambhir, in a team meeting, urged the squad to focus on the game.
The Indian government has allowed the national team to play against Pakistan at multi-national events like the World Cup and Asia Cup but has barred any bilateral engagement across sports.
“We obviously are aware of the sentiments and the strong feelings. And Gauti’s (Gambhir’s nickname) message has just been very professional, about not worrying about things that are not in our control,” Ten Doeschate revealed in the pre-match press conference.
“I have no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public. The Asia Cup was in limbo for a long period of time and we were just waiting,” he said.
Gambhir, at an ABP Conclave, had stated that in his personal opinion, there should not be any sporting engagement with the neighbours until terror attacks stopped. The match Sunday has drawn sharp criticism on social media and there have been calls to boycott the game.
Ten Doeschate said the public mood was discussed in a team meeting where Gambhir asked players to follow the government and BCCI’s directive on sporting ties with Pakistan.
“We didn’t think we were going to be coming at one stage. But obviously, you know what the government stance is. Now the team, particularly the players, have to put their sentiments and emotions behind. It’s actually something we addressed in the team meeting today,” the Dutch coach revealed.
Often sport has been used as a mark of protest at global events, including the Olympics, and Ten Doeschate was asked if the team would be doing something to register its view.
“I guess the other side of the argument is that you separate sports from politics and people have got different opinions on that. Hopefully, the way we play can represent how we feel about the country,” he reasoned.
Ten Doeschate reiterated what batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had stated earlier about simply following the government and BCCI instructions on the matter.
“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.”
Asked if the team has been kept insulated from the outside noise, Ten Doeschate said, “…once we knew we were going to be here and playing, we have tried to get on with it. Just trying to be emotionless when approaching the cricket side of things.
“The guys are professional enough now. I’m sure individuals have different levels of feelings on the spectrum of where they feel the whole situation is. But the messaging has been to just focus on the cricket and try to just focus on the one game tomorrow.”
A few months back, Gambhir was asked whether it was okay to play with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack in which 26 tourists were gunned down by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
The gruesome incident had forced India to carry out Operation Sindoor to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan.
Gambhir had stated that while he does not support the idea of sporting ties with Pakistan but would be compelled to follow the government line on the matter.
“My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Till all this (cross-border terrorism) doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan. Ultimately, this is the government’s decision whether we play them or not,” he had stated.
“…No cricket match, Bollywood movie, or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens.”
The government has refused to halt multi-lateral sporting engagements with Pakistan, citing the Olympic Charter, which prohibits discrimination based on political issues.
India is hoping to host the 2036 Olympics and the 2030 Commonwealth Games and compliance with the Charter is essential to a successful bid.
PTI