Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has opined on the India-Pakistan contest that is scheduled to be played in the Asia Cup next month. The tournament will be played from September 19-28, with the IND-PAK match scheduled on September 14 in Dubai.
Recently, the India Champions in the WLC 2025 backed out of playing against Pakistan in the semi-final contest. Along with Harbhajan, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, and Irfan Pathan, had already made themselves available for the contest, citing national interest.
Now with India scheduled to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup, Harbhajan Singh has finally spoken out against it saying that the cricket match is too small compared to the lives lost in the border by the Indian soldiers in their quest to keep the country safe.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Emirates Cricket Board COO Gives Clarity On High-Octane India-Pakistan Encounter
Advertisement
Unless Big Issues Are Reslolved Cricket Is A Very Small Matter - Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan’s comments comes on the back of the Pahalgam attack earlier this year that saw several lives lost of Indian civilians. India retaliated back by executing Operation Sindoor and since then, the relationship between the two countries have grown sour once again.
“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.
He further said that India cannot afford to play cricket against Pakistan unless the severe issues between the two countries are resolved with the government also taking the same stance.
"Our government has the same stance, 'Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte.' (blood and sweat cannot co-exist). 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.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Indian Squad Announcement Expected in August 3rd Week - Reports
Advertisement
No One Is Bigger Than The Nation - Harbhajan Singh
He concluded by saying that nothing is bigger than the country while stressing that not playing against Pakistan is a big step towards disconnecting all relations with the country. India and Pakistan do not play bilateral ties and only play in ACC and ICC events. However, the recent Pahalgam attack have forced the team to think about boycotting playing against Pakistan completely in ICC and ACC events as well.
“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 (Not playing a cricket match is nothing compared to the importance of the nation)” concluded Harbhajan.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: India vs Pakistan match unlikely to be cancelled - Report
