Not going to entertain anything else, here to play World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur on controversies in India-Pakistan clash

Bengaluru, Sep 26 (IANS) India women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur said that her team will focus on playing cricket and will not entertain anything else on and off the field when asked about how she will perceive the clash against Pakistan amid rising tensions between the two men’s sides.

Ahead of the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka, all team captains took part in Media Day in Bengaluru and Colombo. While four captains attended the event in Bengaluru, the other four participated in the event in Colombo.

At the event, Kaur was asked how she would view the game against Pakistan, given everything that has happened recently between the men’s teams at the Asia Cup.

“Right now, our main focus is on the opening game because that is very important. The opening game is always very important for any team. Our focus is on that because that game is going to set the tone for us.

“Secondly, all the teams are equally important. We can only control things that we can control. We’re here to play cricket, and our main focus is on cricket. We’re not going to entertain anything else on the field because we’re here to play the game, and our focus will remain on playing cricket,” Kaur told reporters in Bengaluru.

For the uninitiated, the recent Asia Cup fixtures between India and Pakistan’s men’s teams sparked several controversies, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) eventually intervening and reprimanding players from both sides.

The men’s teams are set for another clash after qualifying for the Asia Cup final. The match will be played at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, just a couple of days before Harmanpreet Kaur leads her side against Sri Lanka in the World Cup opener in Guwahati on September 30.

India and Pakistan women's teams are scheduled to face off at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on October 5 at the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

--IANS

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