Indian cricket team to play against Pakistan despite suicide-bomber attack

REUTERS - Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday (February 23) said that the team will comply with the decision taken by the government and the Indian cricket board on playing against arch-rivals Pakistan in the upcoming World Cup in England. Kohli's comments came ahead of India's T20 series against Australia in Visakhapatnam and a day after the chief administrator of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) wrote to the game's governing body urging the cricket community to sever ties with any nation from where "terrorism emanates". The letter comes after a suicide-bomber attack last week killed 44 Indian paramilitary troops in disputed Kashmir. The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based militants. The attack has further soured relations between the bitter nuclear-armed rivals and spurred calls within India for the country to sever all sporting ties with Pakistan. The Indian skipper also expressed his condolences on behalf of the team to the families of the slain policemen. India are scheduled to play Pakistan in the group stage of the cricket World Cup on June 16 in Manchester, England.