August 14, 2025

NEW DELHI: The tension between India and Pakistan is heating up off the cricket field too! Legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh didn’t hold back when he spoke about the upcoming Asia Cup, set to happen in the UAE from September 9. Asked if India should boycott playing Pakistan, Harbhajan declared, "Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte. Hum unko itni importance kyun dete hain? [Why do we give them so much importance?]" Recently, Harbhajan played in the World Championship of Legends, where the Indian team refused to play Pakistan in both the group stage and semi-final. This stand came after the chilling Pahalgam terror attack, showing how deep the wounds are. His team included famous names like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, and Yusuf Pathan. For Harbhajan, it’s clear: "Nation comes first." He believes the current Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, should follow suit and refuse to clash with Pakistan on the cricket field. He explained to TimesofIndia.com, "For me, humare desh ka wo jawan jo sarhad par khada hua hai, unki families... unki shahadat ho jaati hai, wo ghar wapas nahi laut paate. 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." India shares Group A in the Asia Cup with Oman, UAE (hosts), and Pakistan, while Group B has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. But Harbhajan believes cricket is tiny when border tensions run high. "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 said firmly. He continued, "Whatever our identity is, it’s because of this country. Whether you are a player, actor, or anyone — no one is bigger than the nation. The country comes first. Cricket match na khelna bahut maamuli si cheez hai desh ke saamne." Harbhajan’s words remind us of the brave soldiers standing tall at the borders. "Humare sarhad pe bhai khade hue hain, jo hume 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," he said. He also criticized the media for giving too much attention to Pakistan. "Hum unko itni importance kyun dete hain? Are they that important that every news channel runs their news? 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." Harbhajan believes even cricketers shouldn't shake hands with Pakistan players, and media should avoid showing reactions that aggravate the situation. India, the defending Asia Cup champions after a smashing win over Sri Lanka, are set to pick their squad next week. But Harbhajan’s fiery words could add a new twist to the long-standing rivalry. Will India skip the Pakistan match? The cricket world watches eagerly!

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Tags: India vs pakistan, Asia cup 2023, Harbhajan singh, Cricket boycott, India-pakistan relations, Asia cup uae,