India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025: Ex-India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has requested the Men in Blue not to play their group stage match against arch-rivals Pakistan during the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 and thus re-emphasised the notion that water and blood can’t flow together. He reckoned that till the time the country’s big issues against Pakistan, like terrorist attacks on soldiers and civilians, aren’t solved, this sport shouldn’t take centrestage and all the players should prioritize their country instead of anything else.
The India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match has continuously received backlash after the Pahalgam terror attack and the military cross-border exchanges between these two countries, which resulted in the death of many Indians. Harbhajan did represent India Champions during the recently concluded World Championship of Legends tournament, a franchise T20 league, where former cricketers are seen in action, after getting slammed by fans, pulled out from two matches against the Men in Green, which helped them qualify for the summit clash.
But post that, it was revealed that the 2025 Asia Cup match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan would be held as planned since both these teams are put together in the same group and would be facing each other thrice during the upcoming continental tournament.
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“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 to 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 Singh was quoted as saying to the Times of India.
The Men in Blue are the reigning champions and the initial host of this tournament, as it will now be held in the UAE, so that the Men in Green don’t have to cross their borders and come to India.
‘No one is bigger than the nation’: Harbhajan to cricketers
There is no clarity as to whether the players can not play in a match on their own despite both the boards, BCCI and the PCB, continuing to go ahead with the match. But Harbhajan has requested them to prioritize the country.
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“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. 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 concluded.