'Humare jawaan ghar wapas...' - Harbhajan Singh slams BCCI over India vs Pakistan Asia Cup clash 2025

Former India off-spinner and Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh has strongly criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for agreeing to face Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, despite heightened tensions between the two nations.

Harbhajan Singh opposes India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash, cites soldiers’ sacrifices

India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in the group stage on September 14 in Dubai, with a possibility of two more encounters in the Super 4s and the final, if both teams progress. The announcement of the schedule came as a surprise to many, as speculation was rife that India might pull out of the tournament or at least refuse to play against their arch-rivals following the recent Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

Harbhajan minced no words in expressing his disapproval. Speaking to The Times of India, he said: “They need to understand what is important and what is not. 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, skipping one cricket match is a very small matter.”

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Reiterating the government’s stance that “Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte” (blood and water cannot flow together), the Turbanator insisted that cricket should take a back seat until political and security issues between the two nations are resolved. “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. Not playing a cricket match is nothing compared to the importance of the nation,” he said.

Harbhajan Singh urges India to skip Pakistan clash in Asia Cup amid rising tensions

Harbhajan’s comments come weeks after he and several other former India players, including Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, and Irfan Pathan, refused to play against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL). The India Champions team even forfeited their semi-final match against Pakistan, allowing the latter a walkover into the final.

The former spinner also urged Indian players not to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers and asked the media to stop giving space to their statements. “Are they that important that every news channel has to give weightage to them? When you have boycotted them, when you don’t want to talk to them, then why show them here? The media shouldn’t add fuel to the fire,” he added.

The Asia Cup 2025 will be an eight-team tournament in the UAE, but Harbhajan is clear in his stance that no matter the stage or stakes, India should not play Pakistan while tensions remain high.