ISLAMABAD, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Pakistan's decision to reverse a boycott of their Twenty20 World Cup cricket match against India has been welcomed by fans keen to see the teams playing each other.
Pakistan’s government on Monday agreed to let the national team play India in the game scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka on Sunday. It had earlier directed the team to boycott the match in a show of solidarity with Bangladesh after they refused to tour India due to security concerns.
Kafeel Ahmed, a cricket fan from Karachi, said on Tuesday Pakistan against India matches were unique.
“There is a different intensity to it. If Pakistan wins by 12 runs, there is no greater happiness than that,” Ahmed told Reuters. “This happiness is not just about a challenge against a rival; it is the feeling that comes after defeating your opponent."
There has been a long freeze in bilateral cricket matches between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have not played a full series since 2012–13 and now meet largely at neutral venues. The decision to reverse the boycott came after appeals from cricket authorities, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
“The benefit is not only that the public is happy or that young people who playcricketare happy; it also increases business and public interest,” said cricket fan Rai Fayaz.
New Delhi's ties with Islamabad and Dhaka have deteriorated in recent months, with political strains increasingly spilling into cricket.
India engaged in its worst conflict with Pakistan in decades in May. Ties with Bangladeshsoured after then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to Delhi in 2024 following violent protests against her government.
Rajeev Shukla, vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said on Tuesday it was good that a solution had been found.
“All kudos to ICC (International Cricket Council) for taking this initiative, resolving the whole issue and bringingcricketback on the forefront. This is a big achievement as far as ICC is concerned," he said.
(Writing by Lucy Craymer, editing by Ed Osmond)
