New Delhi, Aug 14: The upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE has sparked fresh debate over whether India should take the field against arch-rivals Pakistan, with former cricketers from both nations urging a boycott.
Legendary India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has called on the Suryakumar Yadav-led side to put national interests above cricket. Citing the government’s stance of “Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte” (blood and water cannot flow together), Harbhajan said India should refuse to face Pakistan until major political and security issues are resolved.
“It cannot be the case that there’s fighting on the border, tensions between the two nations, and we go to play cricket. For me, the soldier on the border, who sometimes sacrifices his life and never returns home, makes an immense sacrifice for us. Not playing one cricket match is a very small matter compared to that,” Harbhajan told TimesofIndia.com.
The former spinner was part of the India Champions squad at the recently concluded World Championship of Legends, which refused to play Pakistan Champions in both the group stage and semi-finals following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Harbhajan also criticised Indian media for giving Pakistan “unnecessary importance,” adding: “When you have boycotted them, when you don’t want to talk to them, then why show them here? The media shouldn’t be adding fuel to the fire.”
Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has echoed the call, saying he hopes India will refuse to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup. “They’ll beat us so badly you can’t even imagine,” he remarked in a recent YouTube appearance.
India, the defending Asia Cup champions, are placed in Group A alongside Oman, hosts UAE, and Pakistan. The T20 tournament begins on September 9 in the UAE and will act as a warm-up for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. (Agencies)
