Speaking at the pre-tournament captains’ press conference, Suryakumar said the team would proceed as planned and assess the situation upon arrival.
“We didn’t say no to playing against Pakistan. They said NO. ICC scheduled the match and we’re ready to play. Our tickets are booked and we’re going to Sri Lanka.”
The confirmation comes days after the Pakistani government announced that its men’s team would not play against India on February 15, without publicly stating a reason.
The decision was widely interpreted as a protest following Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament after they declined to travel to India for their World Cup matches, a stance later endorsed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
India and Pakistan are drawn in the same group and were scheduled to meet in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament alongside India.
