“Out of Syllabus”: Journalist’s Question on Indo-Pak Tensions Cut Off at Press Meet

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The press conference called to announce India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup was proceeding smoothly, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav answering questions about team selection. However, towards the end, a journalist raised a sensitive query about the India-Pakistan match scheduled for September 14, citing the recent political and military tensions between the two nations.

The journalist asked:

"Speaking of the Asia Cup, there is a big match on the 14th — India vs Pakistan. Considering the recent developments between the two countries over the past two months, what will be your approach towards the game?"

At this point, the BCCI media manager immediately intervened, stopping the journalist and stating: “Wait, please. If you have any questions related to team selection, you may ask them.” Following this intervention, neither Agarkar nor Yadav had to comment on the sensitive issue.

This comes at a time when relations between India and Pakistan are under severe strain. Since the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam and India’s retaliatory ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, tensions have escalated sharply. A large section of social media users has been demanding a boycott of cricket with Pakistan, and the matter has even been raised in Parliament. However, the BCCI has maintained complete silence on the issue so far. Given this context, the question posed at the squad announcement presser was considered “out of syllabus,” prompting the BCCI to adopt a defensive stance.