As the countdown begins for the India-Pakistan women’s cricket match in the ongoing Women’s Cricket World Cup, to be played in Colombo on Sunday, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has addressed the diplomatic tensions surrounding the encounter.Speaking to BBC Sport, Saikia acknowledged that India’s relations with Pakistan remain strained and, in fact, “there is no change in the last one week; rather, it has worsened,” following ACC chairperson Mohsin Naqvi’s delay in awarding the Asia Cup trophy to India.Despite the ongoing friction, Saikia made it clear that cricketing commitments would proceed as planned. “India will play the cricket match against Pakistan on the 5th, and all the cricket protocols will be followed,” he said, emphasizing that the game would be conducted strictly according to MCC regulations.India and Sri Lanka are jointly hosting women’s cricket’s global showpiece, with Pakistan playing all their matches on the island nation.The controversy comes in the wake of off-field issues between the two nations during the men’s Asia Cup in the UAE recently, which India won by defeating their arch-rivals in the final, only to be denied the trophy by ACC chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official Mohsin Naqvi, as the Indian players refused to accept the silverware from him in protest over the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year.
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Naqvi is also an interior minister in the Pakistan government.On matters of on-field gestures, Saikia remained non-committal. “Whether there will be a handshake or hugging, I cannot assure you anything right at this moment,” he said, underlining that the focus would remain on the sport rather than politics.India started their campaign with a convincing 59-run win over Sri Lanka, while Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat against Bangladesh, being bowled out for just 129.
