PCB chief Ramiz Raja recently made a controversial statement involving Team India. He said that the Pakistani team was always considered underdogs whenever they played against India. However, the situation has changed and the arch-rivals have certainly started respecting them.
The former Pakistani cricketer asked everyone to credit the Pakistan team as they have indulged a fear in opponents that they can be beaten anytime. He went on to term the Indian team a ‘Billion Dollar’ team.
Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin, when asked to react to Raja’s statement in a press conference on Monday, said that he didn’t know about the statement and came to know about it just when he was asked.
“Until you said that, I didn’t know he made a statement like that. That’s one way of dealing with it. But look, it’s a game of cricket. Whatever political tensions and whatever stays between the teams, the rivalry is big, it means a lot to the people from both countries. But at the end of the day, whatever you may say as a cricketer and as someone who is playing the sport, you do understand that wins and losses are part of the game, especially in this format, the margins are going to be so close,” Ashwin said.
The veteran spinner went on to say that the respect for the rivals doesn’t depend upon the results but on the characters. As per him, Team India respects the Pakistani side and he assumes the same from the opponents.
“Respect for the opposition is not something that comes with victories and defeat. It comes with how you are made, and we certainly respect the Pakistani side, and so do they,” R Ashwin told reporters in Perth.
India and Pakistan will lock horns on October 23 at the T20 World Cup 2022. It is expected to be a thriller as usual and the outcome of the game will carry a lot of importance.
