"Country comes first..."- Harbhajan Singh lambasts BCCI over India vs Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2025

Harbhajan Singh said that cricket is a very small thing compared to the nation.

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over its decision to play against Pakistan Cricket Team in Asia Cup 2025. The India vs Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2025 will take place on September 14 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

India and Pakistan are part of Group A in Asia Cup 2025 along with the UAE and Oman. The tournament is designed in such a format that India and Pakistan might end up facing each other thrice in the tournament. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the schedule of the tournament last month.

Notably, there has been a public demand by Indian fans to end cricketing ties with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in April. In May, the political tensions between India and Pakistan escalated due to Operation Sindoor – a retaliation step by Indian Armed Forces to attack the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack.

Harbhajan Singh slams BCCI over India playing against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025

During a conversation with The Times of India, cricketer-turned-commentator Harbhajan said that playing cricket is a very small thing compared to the sacrifice of soldiers at the border.

“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,” he said.

“Compared to that, this is a very small thing, that we can’t skip playing one cricket match. It’s a very small matter. 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),” he added.

The 45-year-old also added that India cannot play cricket against Pakistan while losing soldiers on the border. He also noted that everyone, regardless of their profession, must fulfil their duties for the nation.

“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,” he further said.

“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,” Harbhajan added.

“Humare sarhad pe bhai khade hue hain, jo hume protect kar rahe hain, humare desh ko 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 (At the border, our brothers are standing, protecting us and our country. Look at their courage, the big hearts with which they serve. Think about what their families go through when they don’t return home. And here we are, playing cricket),” he concluded.

Last month, Harbhajan and a few other former cricketers had backed out from playing against Pakistan Champions in World Champions of Legends (WCL) 2025 tournament. Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions refused to play against Pakistan Champions in the group stage and then the semi-final of the tournament. The encounter was eventually called off by the organisers.

Meanwhile, Asia Cup 2025 will commence on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament is India’s next campaign in international cricket and will be played in T20I format. Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead the Men in Blue in the tournament, which will observe a clash between eight teams for the title.

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