India is all set to take on Pakistan for the first time since the T20 World Cup 2024, in the Asia Cup 2025. The two will face off in a Group A clash of the continental tournament on September 14 (Sunday), and there is a possibility that the two arch-rivals might take on each other two more times over the course of the tournament.
The occurrence of the match has been criticized from various quarters, especially since the tensions between the two neighbouring nations have hit an all-time low after the dastardly Pahalgam terrorist attack, followed by India’s retaliation in Operation Sindoor. Harbhajan Singh has also said that this match could have been skipped for the sake of the nation.
Speaking to The Times of India, Harbhajan Singh said that the match could have easily been avoided, keeping in mind the sacrifices that a soldier makes on the border. He also said that when there’s fighting on the border and tensions between two nations, it does not make sense to play cricket.
“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 said.
“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,” the former India spinner added.
‘No One Is Bigger Than The Nation’
Harbhajan Singh emphasized the fact that no cricketer or actor is bigger than the nation. Hence, playing a cricket match is the least one can do for the nation.
“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),” Harbhajan reiterated.