‘Nobody wants to give up their ego’: Kapil Dev on Pakistan boycott

India’s Shubman Gill (left) and Abhishek Sharma in a heated exchange with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf during the Asia Cup in Dubai last September. Pic/AFP

Former India captain Kapil Dev has expressed his disappointment over Pakistan's boycott of the India clash at the T20 World Cup, saying he feels sorry for the players affected by political decisions.

Pakistan, on Sunday, said it will not play the much-awaited Group A clash in Colombo on February 15.

"I'm a little surprised that Pakistan pulled out at the last moment," Kapil told mid-day, adding that the cricketers should not be made to suffer. "I feel sorry for the Pakistan players. They have not committed any mistake here."

Kapil Dev. Pic/PTI

Recalling his own experiences in Pakistan, Kapil said the current situation felt familiar - similar to the period around his debut there in 1978. The two teams had last played a Test series in February 1961 before resuming their rivalry in 1978. "I made my [Test] debut in 1978 at Faisalabad. At that time, Pakistan welcomed us after a long gap. And now, around 47 years later, the turmoil has started again. So, this is nothing new for India-Pakistan cricketing relations," the 1983 ODI World Cup-winning skipper said.

Kapil, who has claimed 434 wickets in 131 Tests and 253 wickets in 225 ODIs, said politics has always been the main reason behind such disruptions. "Hota hai, hote rahenge [it happens and will happen], politics is thy name," he remarked, admitting that the fans will be the biggest losers: "Cricket lovers will miss an Indo-Pak match, and we can't do much about it."

The all-rounder also felt that the situation has been blown up unnecessarily: "Initially, the problem was small, but gradually it became big. Nobody wants to give up their ego. Dialogues were there, but no solution was found. It's very, unfortunate."

100
India's winning percentage in their last five T20I encounters against Pakistan

One
No. of matches Pakistan have won against India out of eight in the T20 World Cup; India have emerged victorious seven times