Keeping sentiments aside, Team India will prepare itself for the three-match ODI series with Pakistan that is scheduled to be held in December later this year, said Indian skipper MS Dhoni after the end of the two-day camp in Chennai ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. "Now that the series has been announced, we will be ready for it," he said. "As professional cricketers that is what we are supposed to do.
"The country's name is at stake. We will try and win every game, especially if it is against Pakistan."
Cricket ties have been the subject of discussions between the governments of both nuclear-armed countries, who have been holding regular meetings in a bid to improve ties and eventually thrash out a peace agreement.
The countries -- where cricket is hugely popular -- have fought three wars since independence in 1947.
The Indian and Pakistani cricket teams have only met in international tournaments since 2007.
They clashed in the World Cup semi-final in the north Indian town of Mohali last year, a high-profile game that was attended by the prime ministers of the two countries.
They also played during the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March. Both matches were won by India.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Monday agreed to host the series--three ODIs and two T20 games -- beginning in December-end this year.
The arch rivals have not played a series since Pakistan's tour of India in 2007, after cricket ties were snapped following the 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai, which were carried out by militants from Pakistan.
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