In the lead-up to the highly anticipated Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan, the sentiments surrounding the match extend far beyond the cricket field. India's fielding coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, has openly acknowledged the strong feelings of the Indian public regarding sporting relations with Pakistan, particularly in light of recent events.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, calls to boycott sporting ties with Pakistan have grown louder. Even India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, had expressed his personal opinion that there should be no engagements with Pakistan under the current circumstances. However, the Indian government has permitted contests against Pakistan at multilateral events, while continuing to bar any bilateral matches.
Ten Doeschate emphasized that the Indian players are aware of these sentiments and share the compassion felt by the majority of the Indian public. "I have no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public," he stated. He also noted that the team had discussed these feelings in a meeting. Despite these shared sentiments, the players have been instructed to approach the Asia Cup match with professionalism, adhering to the government's decision.
"We obviously are aware of the sentiments and the strong feelings," said Ten Doeschate. "And Gauti's message has just been very professional, about not worrying about things that are not in our control". He stressed that the players are not insulated from the situation but must follow the directives of higher authorities.
Ten Doeschate also highlighted the complexities of separating sports from politics. "The other side of the argument is that you separate sports from politics, and people have got different opinions on that," he said. He expressed hope that the team's performance could represent how they feel about their country.
Despite the charged atmosphere, Ten Doeschate believes the Indian players are professional enough to focus on the game and give their best on the field. "Once we knew we were going to be here and playing, we have tried to get on with it," he said. "Just trying to be emotionless when approaching the cricket side of things. The guys are professional enough now".
He acknowledged that individual players may have varying levels of feeling about the situation. However, the message has been to concentrate on the cricket and the specific game against Pakistan. "The messaging has been to just focus on the cricket and try to just focus on the one game tomorrow," Ten Doeschate stated.
While acknowledging the public sentiment and the events that fuel it, Ten Doeschate reiterated that the team is following the direction of the BCCI and the Indian government. He also expressed that the Asia Cup being in limbo for a long period of time, and they are only following the stance of the Indian government.
Despite the undercurrent of tension and the calls for boycott, the India-Pakistan match remains a significant event. Ten Doeschate himself believes that India starts as favorites in the match. He stated, "Yeah, I think being totally honest, I would say India do start favourites tomorrow".
