“Soldiers risk lives while we play cricket”: Harbhajan Singh slams BCCI over Asia Cup stance

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has strongly opposed India playing Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, emphasizing that national interest should come before cricket. The Asia Cup schedule places India and Pakistan in the same group, with a group-stage clash scheduled in Dubai on September 14.

Harbhajan, who participated in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, criticized the BCCI’s decision to go ahead with matches against Pakistan despite ongoing national tensions. During WCL, several Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, and Irfan Pathan, refused to play Pakistan, leading to the abandonment of the matches. “They need to understand what is important and what is not. This is as simple as that,” he said.

He highlighted the sacrifices of Indian soldiers stationed at the border, saying, “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.” He added, “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 beetati hai jab wo ghar wapas nahi aate. Aur hum cricket khelne chale jaate hain.”

Harbhajan referred to the government’s stance on cross-border tensions, stating, “Our government has the same stance, ‘Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte.’ 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 emphasized that no individual, including cricketers, is bigger than the country, saying, “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.”

He also stressed media caution regarding Pakistan, noting, “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.” Harbhajan’s comments come as the Asia Cup fixture could see the two arch-rivals meet up to three times, bringing public and media scrutiny to the India-Pakistan clash.