Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has called on the national team to boycott their scheduled match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, insisting that the country’s larger issues with its neighbour must take precedence over sport.
Drawing on the old sentiment that “water and blood can’t flow together”, he stressed that until matters such as cross-border ter*or*sm and att@cks on Indian soldiers are resolved, cricket should not be a priority.
Tensions between the two nations have heightened since the recent att@ck in Pahalgam, Kashmir and subsequent cross-border exchanges that claimed several Indian lives. Harbhajan who recently represented the India Champions side in the World Championship of Legends, a private T20 tournament for retired players, had already acted on his stance by forfeiting two games against Pakistan in that event, allowing their opponents to reach the final.
Despite the controversy, the Asia Cup schedule confirms that India and Pakistan will share the same group, with the possibility of facing each other up to three times during the tournament. India, the defending champions, will host the competition in the UAE to avoid logistical complications of Pakistan visiting the Indian soil.
Speaking to a leading publication, Harbhajan emphasised that the sacrifices of soldiers on the border far outweigh the significance of a cricket fixture. He highlighted how many servicemen rarely see their families and, in some cases, lose their lives in the line of duty, making the idea of skipping a cricket match seem insignificant in comparison.
He reiterated that the government has consistently maintained its position against mixing sporting engagements with unresolved political and security tensions. According to Harbhajan, it is incompatible to have hostilities on the border while engaging in cricket matches and no individual, whether a player, actor or public figure, should consider themselves above the nation.
In Bhajji’s view, the country must always come first and choosing not to play a single match is a small sacrifice when compared with national security and the lives of those protecting it.
