NEW DELHI: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha on Monday said the players would abide by whatever instructions are issued by the government or the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding the boycott of the marquee T20 World Cup match against India scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.

Speaking to the media before departing from Lahore to Colombo, Salman said the squad was informed about the decision by the team manager on Sunday, shortly after their match against Australia.

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“We are players contracted to the Board and whatever decision our government and Board have taken all the players are on board with it,” he said.

Salman added that the T20 World Cup was bigger than just one fixture and stressed that the team’s focus remained on performing well throughout the tournament.

Focus on remaining group matches

The Pakistan skipper said the team was heading to Sri Lanka with the intent of winning its remaining group matches and pushing for qualification.

“We have three other group matches so we will try to win all of them and qualify for next round,” he said.

Meanwhile, several former Pakistan captains and players have publicly backed the decision to boycott the India match. The list includes Shahid Afridi, Muhammad Yousuf and Rashid Latif, along with ex-players Moin Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohsin Khan.

“What the ICC did to Bangladesh or the way they have bowed before the Indian cricket board in recent years, it was time someone took a stand,” Latif said.

Afridi said he was disappointed about Pakistan not playing India, as he did not believe in mixing politics with sport, but added that he understood the reasons behind the decision.

ICC under pressure as Pakistan travel to Colombo

Moin said the onus was now on the ICC to take a call that safeguards the broader interests of the game.

“The ICC now has to decide which path it wants to take in the larger interests of world cricket,” Moin said.

Sarfaraz said he could understand why the PCB had not received permission to play the India fixture.

Amid the unfolding developments, the Pakistan team left for Colombo to take part in the remainder of the tournament, which begins on February 7. The squad is expected to reach the Sri Lankan capital later in the evening.

A senior PCB source said the board would continue to follow government directives if another match against India were to be scheduled in the knockout stages.

Pakistan are set to open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by fixtures against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18, provided the boycott decision regarding the India match is not reversed.

Pakistan’s decision to skip the February 15 clash is also being viewed as a gesture of support for Bangladesh, who were excluded earlier after refusing to play in India citing security concerns.

(With PTI Inputs)