India captain to miss Pakistan clash in World Cup: 'It's heartbreaking

 India captain to miss Pakistan clash in World Cup: 'It's heartbreaking

India-Pakistan match means extra frenzy for cricket lovers Photo: AFP

Despite ongoing efforts to separate sports from politics, the Indian government continues to engage in sports diplomacy.

The Modi government recently announced that top Indian cricketers, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah, will not be sent to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. Following this decision, India also halted its Kabaddi team's planned tour to Pakistan. In another development, India withdrew from the Blind T20 World Cup, which is being hosted in Pakistan from November 23 to December 3.

The Indian government has cited security concerns as the reason for preventing both the national cricket and Kabaddi teams from traveling to Pakistan, a justification extended to the visually impaired cricket team as well. The Blind T20 World Cup was scheduled to take place in Pakistan, with India’s blind cricketers due to cross the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab today to participate. However, they will not be playing, as the government has blocked their participation.

India's visually impaired cricket team captain, Durga Rao Tompaki, expressed his heartbreak over the situation. "We play with passion and take great pride in representing the country," he said in a press release. "We always look forward to competing on the big stage. It's heartbreaking to miss this opportunity, but there's another World Cup ahead. We remain committed to continuing our practice and preparation."

The Cricket Association of Blind India (CABI) organized a training camp in Delhi in preparation for the T20 World Cup in Pakistan. A total of 25 cricketers were selected to attend the camp, from which the final squad for the World Cup was to be chosen.

Expressing satisfaction with the preparations in Delhi, Durga Rao Tompaki stated, "We had a successful camp and identified emerging talent. We believe these players can take the team to greater heights. It's important to nurture these talents and ensure our team is fully prepared for the next tournament."

Initially, the Indian team received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the country's sports ministry to participate in the Blind T20 World Cup in Pakistan. However, they did not receive permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Despite the last-minute cancellation of the Indian team's trip to Pakistan, CABI accepted the government's decision. In a statement, they said, "While this is a huge setback, we fully respect the government's concerns regarding security and the decision made in light of them."

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