New Delhi: The legendary Sunil Gavaskar has come out in defence of the Indian players, urging the fans not to target them over the scheduled India-Pakistan
clash in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The BCCI on Tuesday unveiled India’s 15-man squad for the continental tournament, which is set to be played in the UAE from September 09 to September 28.
India will lock horns with Pakistan in Dubai on September 14. Both BCCI and the Indian government have been severely criticised for allowing the Indian team to play against Pakistan in the continental tournament, months after the Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 people lost their lives. Many have slammed the Indian cricket board, questioning them over their stance of playing cricket with Pakistan in light of the ongoing tensions with the country.
The Indian government has also been called out for allowing the Indian cricket team to play against Pakistan, while maintaining that Operation Sindoor against the neighbours is still underway. The players have also been on the receiving end of the backlash for agreeing to play the match against Pakistan. However, Gavaskar has defended the players.
Gavaskar explained that the players have no say in such matters and they are obliged to take the field as they are contracted by the BCCI. The former India captain rightly pointed out that it should be the BCCI and the Indian government’s call to decide whether the Indian team should play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025.
“If the government has taken a call, I don’t see how the players can be criticised or commented upon, because the players at the end of the day are contracted to the BCCI and they will be taking the instructions from the government of India. And so it entirely depends on that,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“The players are helpless in this. They’ve been selected to play in the Asia Cup, and if the government says you have to play, then they will go out and play. If the government says you don’t, then the BCCI will act accordingly,” he added.
