Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has openly criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for approving matches against Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. His remarks follow the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which have intensified public demands for India to cut all sporting ties with Pakistan.
The Asia Cup schedule revealed that India and Pakistan could face off as many as three times — in the group stage on September 14 in Dubai, possibly again in the Super 4s, and even in the final. This development has surprised many, given the current political climate.
Soldiers Sacrifice Is Greater Than Cricket’
Harbhajan, who was part of the India Champions squad in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) before the team pulled out of a Pakistan semi-final match, stressed that national security should outweigh sporting commitments.
“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 told Times of India.
Nation Comes First’ – Harbhajan Singh
The former spinner echoed the Indian government’s stance — “Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte” — stressing that it’s unacceptable to play cricket when there is conflict at the border.
“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 added.
Harbhajan further said that no profession or individual is above the country’s interests.
“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,” he stated.
Harbhajan Urges Media to Stop Highlighting Pakistan
Harbhajan also called on the Indian media to stop giving airtime to Pakistan’s players and their comments.
“Are they that important that every news channel has to give weightage to them? When you have boycotted them, when you don’t want to talk to them, then why show them here? This is the duty of the media — to stop this,” Harbhajan said.
He suggested that Indian cricketers should avoid shaking hands with Pakistani players and that the media should refrain from broadcasting their statements.
“As I said, cricketers shouldn’t be shaking hands with the Pakistan players, but the media shouldn’t be showing them and their reactions on television, either. They are sitting in their country and can say whatever they want, but we shouldn’t be highlighting them,” he added.
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