Mumbai: Amid political tensions between India and Pakistan, US fast bowler Saurabh Netwalkar said such issues have never been a topic of discussion within the US team, even though many players have roots in both the countries.The India-Pakistan league-stage match of the 2026 T20 World Cup in Colombo on February 15 is in doubt after Pakistan refused to participate. However, speaking on Friday, a day before USA’s tournament opener against India at the Wankhede Stadium, Netrawalkar said the team is only focused on representing the United States.
“Yes, we have players from all parts of the world. We are connected because of our love for the game. And no, I don’t think we have ever discussed India-Pakistan issues among ourselves. At least I don’t think so. We’re all proud to play for the USA and that’s what we’re focused on,” Netrawalkar said.He said, “We are a group of people from many countries and what brings us together is the love of sports. We are proud to represent America.”The match against India will also be a personal milestone for Netrawalkar. The left-arm fast bowler grew up in Mumbai and learned cricket at Wankhede. He said that playing at the venue will fulfill a long-standing ambition.“It feels like a full circle moment for me because I learned my cricket here. I grew up in Mumbai, and getting a chance to play at the Wankhede, which has also been my dream since childhood. Very nostalgic, emotional, (and) it’s good to see it happen. I’m looking forward to my family, friends being there, and I will give my best,” said the 34-year-old.Netrawalkar said the presence of former Mumbai players, including Harmeet Singh and Shubham Ranjane, in the US team provides some insight into the Indian conditions, although he acknowledged that the game has changed a lot.“It definitely helps, but frankly speaking, it’s been a long time. Like, I last played in India in 2014, 2015, things have changed to a great extent. The game has also changed to a great extent. It’s a lot more aggressive from a Betterment standpoint, so I won’t compare. Yes, experience helps, but the game is very different,” he said.Netrawalkar was part of the US team that defeated Pakistan in Dallas a few years ago, when he took 2 for 18 in four overs in a seven-wicket win. On Indian pitches, he said the approach would be different, with a focus on damage control.“There will be more focus on minimizing losses, as you are saying (here) there are high-scoring pitches. Whatever ball we bowl has to be on the ground, as long as we bowl on the ground, we bowl to our matchup and maximize our chances. Defense can be the best attack on pitches like this and hopefully we can make mistakes on the wrong shots, that’s the best we can do as bowlers on these wickets,” he said. Can,” he said.
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