Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh did not hold back when asked about India potentially boycotting Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 9. The legendary spinner was part of the recently concluded World Championship of Legends (WCL), where the India Champions refused to play against the Pakistan Champions in both the group stage and the semi-final.
The Indian squad, which included stalwarts like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, and Suresh Raina, took this stand in response to the tragic Pahalgam terror attack. Harbhajan emphasised that the nation comes first and expressed his belief that the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team should also refuse to take the field against Pakistan.
“They need to understand what is important and what is not. This is as simple as that. For me, humare desh ka wo jawan jo sarhad par khada hua hai, unki families jo kayi baar unko nahi dekh paati hain, unki shahadat ho jaati hai, wo ghar wapas nahi laut paate hain – unki itni badi sacrifice hoti hai hum sabke liye. Toh ye toh bahut chhoti si baat hai ki hum ek cricket match na chhod sakein (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 even skip playing one cricket match. It’s a very small matter),” Harbhajan said to Times of India.
India has been placed in Group A alongside Oman, hosts United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. Group B consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka.
“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,” Harbhajan said.
“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),” he added.
India are the defending Asia Cup champions, having defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to claim their eighth title, the most by any country in the tournament’s history. The highly anticipated group stage match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to be played in Dubai on September 14. Harbhajan also known as the Turbanator, emphasised the importance of boycotting anything Pakistan says or does on national media, underscoring a strong stance on the matter.
“Humare sarhad pe bhai khade hue hain, jo hume protect kar rahe hain, humare desh ko protect kar rahe hain — unke hausle dekho, wo kitna bada dil leke waha pe khade hue hain. Aur unke parivaar par kya beet-ti hai jab wo ghar wapas nahi aate. Aur hum cricket khelne chale jaate hain [At the border, our brothers are standing, protecting us and our country. Look at their courage, the big hearts with which they serve. Think about what their families go through when they don’t return home. And here we are, playing cricket],” Harbhajan said.
“Hum unko itni importance kyun dete hain? Are they that important? Are they that important ki har news channel unko chalaye? 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. They shouldn’t be adding fuel to the fire. 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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