Published: Oct 10, 2022, 08:15 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 10, 2022, 08:15 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Team India’s 14 players have already flown to Australia alongside the coaching staff headed by the Indian head coach Rahul Dravid to prepare for the T20 World Cup down under. The Men in Blue won the first match against Western Australia ahead of their warm-up games against Australia and New Zealand.
Then the much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan would be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23rd. This will he be the third meeting between these sides after their clash at T20 World Cup 2021 opener.
The Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin attended a press conference following their match with Western Australia and when questioned about recent remarks from PCB chief Ramiz Raja on how Indian team has started respecting Pakistan after losing to them couple of time.
Ramiz Raja during an interview with the Dawn, a Pakistan News Outlet said “Skill aur talent se zyada mental match hota hain yeh. So agar aap temperamentally strong he and mentally focussed he aur haar manne ko taiyar nahi hain toh chhoti team bhi badi team ko hara sakti hain. And Pakistan humesha se underdogs rahein hain jab bhi India se muqabla huye hain, but of late, unhone hume respect dena shuru kardiya hain kyunki unke khayal me yeh hain ki Pakistan hume kabhi hara hi nehi sakte. So yehi main kehta hu ki Pakistan ko credit dijiye kyunki ek billion-dollar team cricket industry ko hum harate he. Main toh khud World Cups khela hu, humlog toh India ko nehi hara paate the. Iss team ko credit dena chaiye kyunki limited resources, compared to India, se prepare karte he and tagda muqabla karte hain.”
Ashwin replying to it said “Respect for the opposition is not something that comes with victories and defeat. It comes with how you are made, and we certainly respect the Pakistani side, and so do they,”
“It’s a game of cricket. We don’t play so often, the rivalry is big. It means a lot to the people from both countries but at the end of the day whatever you may say as a cricketer and someone who is playing the sport you do understand that wins and losses are part of the game. Especially in this format, the margins are going to be so close” He added.
