Harbhajan Singh Calls for India to Boycott Pakistan Match in Asia Cup Over Soldier Sacrifices
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The political atmosphere has heated up regarding the big match between India and Pakistan before the Asia Cup cricket tournament starting next month. Amidst the increased tension between the two countries after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, veteran cricketer and Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh has demanded the Indian team to boycott the match against Pakistan.
In an interview given to an English news website, Harbhajan Singh said in strong words, "Blood and water cannot flow together. Why do we give them so much importance? Our soldiers are not able to return home and we go to play cricket with them."
Referring to the supreme sacrifice of the soldiers deployed on the border, he said, "For me, the soldier of our country who is standing on the border, his family, his supreme sacrifice is above all else. It is a very small thing that we cannot miss a cricket match in their honour."
Even before Harbhajan Singh, many political figures have opposed this match. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has raised this demand in Parliament, while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray also recently targeted BCCI and the government.
It is worth noting that in the recently held 'World Championship of Legends', legends like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Pathan brothers boycotted the league match and semi-final against Pakistan Legends. Then these players had clearly said that for them the country comes first.
India-Pakistan match is on 14 September
The Asia Cup is starting from September 9. India will play its first match against UAE on September 10, while on September 14 it will face its arch-rival Pakistan. For a long time, there has been no bilateral series between the two countries, but they have been playing against each other in ICC and ACC tournaments at neutral venues. At present, there is no indication from BCCI about boycotting the match, but political pressure is continuously increasing.