Former KKR, CSK player with PSL experience gives huge Opinion on India-Pakistan conflict

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has voiced strong disapproval over the intensifying India-Pakistan cricket rivalry spilling into geopolitical tensions.

Holder, who has played in the IPL for teams such

as Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, with similar experience in the PSL as well, has called for peace.

Speaking on Grace Hayden's "Game On with Grace," he lamented how off-field conflicts are tarnishing the sport's spirit, especially after India's Asia Cup 2025 victory where they skipped trophy interactions with Pakistan amid post-Pahalgam attack strains.

Holder envisions cricket as a potential peace catalyst between the nuclear-armed neighbours, urging influential figures to prioritize unity on the field.

Holder criticized the "India-Pakistan beef" as extending "a long way beyond the cricket field," calling it "really sad" given both nations' status as "two powerhouses in world cricket".

He highlighted India's Asia Cup trophy avoidance as "too much," arguing such actions contradict global ambassadors' roles in promoting "world peace" and improving the planet. The former captain, who has thrived in leagues from both countries, stressed keeping politics out of the game.​

"If they can do it on the cricket field, the two countries may be like 'Look, it's done on a sporting level, maybe we can do it on an everyday level. Stop this fight, stop this war,'" he said.

The former KKR player also believes on-field collaboration by these "influential teams" could bridge divides, despite no bilateral series since 2012 and ongoing ICC event frictions post-April 2025 Pahalgam attacks.

For now, the situation remains the same between India and Pakistan. The two neighbouring countries have decided not to play on each other's soil. Hence, the ICC and ACC tournaments have adopted a hybrid model, where they are set to play in a neutral venue whenever one of them hosts a tournament. India played in UAE during the Champions Trophy in 2025, whereas Pakistan will play in Sri Lanka in the upcoming T20 World Cup.