‘Soldiers’ sacrifice is immense for us.’- Harbhajan Singh slams BCCI for their stance on playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup

Harbhajan Singh has stood strong with Indian soldiers and reiterated his stance of boycotting Indo-Pak cricket. He was part of the India Champions team that boycotted games against Pakistan, including the semi-final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.

And now he has taken BCCI to task after the Asia Cup 2025 schedule was announced. India and Pakistan were put together in Group A with Oman and UAE. The two rivals are slated to clash on September 14 in Dubai in a blockbuster match.

As former cricketers, fans, and pundits debate the Indo-Pak clash in the Asia Cup, Harbhajan isn't happy with the BCCI's stance.

“Can’t we skip one cricket match?”—Harbhajan Singh wants India to boycott Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup.

The former India off-spinner shared his direct opinion on the subject, stating that even if our troops are attempting to defend the country from Pakistan, a cricket match between the two countries is absurd at any level.

"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 was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

"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 and 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 added.

Harbhajan Singh also stated that while soldiers sacrificed their lives on the border, boycotting one cricket match is a much lesser sacrifice than that.

“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. 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,” he added.

He also stressed the need to boycott whatever Pakistan says or does on national media.

"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," he added.

India and Pakistan can technically face off thrice in the Asia Cup: once in the group stage, a second time if they both qualify for the second round, and lastly in the final.

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