Cricket: Faced with growing backlash, BCCI explains why it will not boycott Pakistan in Asia Cup

Any sports contest between India and Pakistan can never be free of political appendages. Be it cricket, hockey, or any other sport, there will always be a political angle to the competition. But it is more evident in cricket since that is the most popular sport in the subcontinent. The latest controversy that has arisen is the plan for India and Pakistan to play against each other in the Asia Cup cricket championship.

A large section of the population of India, including many cricket fans too, is against any contact with Pakistan after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. A few days ago, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh echoed the sentiments of millions of people.

Harbhajan’s opinion

He said: “The BCCI needs 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 – the sacrifices made by our soldiers are immense. Compared to that, an India vs Pakistan match is a very small thing. Can’t we skip one cricket match? It’s a very small matter.”

Harbhajan stated that no one is bigger than the country, and hence, thinking about the nation first is paramount.

“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.”

Faced with a growing backlash, the BCCI was forced to come out with an explanation. It was one of those rare occasions when the mandarins of the BCCI felt that they needed to explain their stance.

BCCI’s explanation

The BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia defended India’s plan to play against Pakistan, citing the Indian government’s policy that allows involvement between the two countries in international events. Saikia said: “Concerning the technicality about participation of the Indian team, for cricket or any other sport, the central government’s sports department has laid down the guidelines as well as the policies. That is what we are following. These guidelines were designed to assist national-level sports federations in making decisions about participation in multi-national tournaments.”

Saikia also highlighted the risk of facing sanctions from governing bodies like the International Cricket Council (ICC) or Asian Cricket Council if India were to boycott Pakistan in multi-team events. A tournament has a multi-national facet, and if the Indian team doesn’t participate, there may be sanctions against us. This would hurt the development of the careers of many cricketers.”

Saikia clarified that while India won’t play bilateral matches against Pakistan or any other hostile country, there are no restrictions on multi-nation tournaments like the Asia Cup or ICC events. “So far as the BCCI’s view is concerned, we have to follow whatever the central government’s policies are on this matter.”

He added that this policy is not just for cricket but also for other games and is well thought out, considering all aspects. Saikia concluded by saying he is sure that the government has taken all factors into account while formulating this policy.

Gets underway on Sep 9

The event will get underway in the UAE on September 9. India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A, and their first match is scheduled for September 14 at the Dubai stadium. The other two teams in this group are Oman and the UAE. On paper, it looks like it will be easy progress for India. But sports contests are always unpredictable. So India should not be overconfident against any rival.

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