Days after India drew the five-match Test series by 2-2 margin in the United Kingdom (UK), the next major cricketing assignment for the Men in Blue is the Asia Cup. The marquee continental tournament,
which will be played in the T20 format, is scheduled to be played from September 9 to 28 in the UAE. While they will commence their campaign on September 10, the much-anticipated India versus Pakistan clash is scheduled for September 14.
While it has been in long in talks whether the Indian team will play Pakistan or not - seeing the two neighbouring nations not play any competitive cricket match for long. Even the World Championship of Legends (WCL) semi-finals fixture was called off after the India Champions decided to withdraw due to the ongoing cross-border tensions following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
We can't skip playing one cricket match..: Harbhajan Singh blasts at BCCI over IND vs PAK Asia Cup
Amidst this, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has now blasted at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for continuing to play Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The former Indian off-spinner took a blunt jibe at the BCCI for their stance to play Pakistan. However, he isn't the only one as Telangana AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also opposed the decision the play Pakistan. "They need to understand what is important and what is not. This is as simple as that. For me, the soldier who stands on the border, whose family often doesn't get to see him, who sometimes sacrifices his life and never returns home - their sacrifice is so immense for all of us. Compared to that, this is a very small thing, that we can't skip playing one cricket match. It's a very small matter," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
"Our government has the same stance, 'Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte.' (blood and sweat cannot co-exist). It cannot be the case that there's fighting on the border, tensions between the two nations, and we go to play cricket. Until these big issues are resolved, cricket is a very small matter. The nation always comes first," he further added. Although, the BCCI has time and again cited cricketing reasons to go ahead with the planned schedule, Bhajji - as he is fondly called asserted that nothing is bigger than a nation.
The 45-year-old further continued, "Whatever our identity is, it's because of this country. Whether you are a player, an actor, or anyone else, no one is bigger than the nation. The country comes first, and the duties we owe to it must be fulfilled. Cricket match na khelna bahut maamuli si cheez hai desh ke saamne (Not playing a cricket match is nothing compared to the importance of the nation).”
