BCCI
In the wake of Tuesday’s Pahalgam terror assault, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists and injured several others, former Indian cricketer Shreevats Goswami, who played alongside Virat Kohli in the 2008 U-19 World Cup-winning team, has called for an end to cricket relations with Pakistan.
India had been the target of a significant attack by Pakistani militants. A cricket series between India and Pakistan was planned just a few months after this occurrence. The government was cornered by opposition parties over the matter. “Who is shedding our blood, and why do we want to play cricket with Pakistan?” they questioned.
Following the widespread criticism, the Sports Ministry was directed by the Prime Minister’s Office to inform the BCCI that the Indian team will not be playing against Pakistan.
Notably, this episode occurred on November 26, 2008, when Pakistani terrorists carried out a significant attack in Mumbai. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh outlawed all bilateral cricket matches with Pakistan in December following that horrifying occurrence.
Let’s go ahead to 2025 now. Pakistan has yet to cease its terrorist activities. After inquiring about their religion, terrorists from our neighboring country slaughtered 26 innocent people in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22. Following the terrible episode, there has been a call for India to boycott Pakistan in both bilateral series and international competitions such as the Asia Cup and World Cup.
Notably, the Asia Cup will begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates. The Indian team has now been revealed, and this event is anticipated to include three India-Pakistan matches.
The government has not yet made a decision regarding whether to participate in or abstain from the match versus Pakistan. The BCCI, however, opposes India’s boycott of Pakistan at the Asia Cup. Two senior BCCI officials were questioned by Dainik Bhaskar on why the organization is not prepared to boycott. The apex body still wants the Asia Cup to go place and India-Pakistan matches to be played in it, according to four such reasons given by both of the anonymous sources.
Prevent Pakistan from receiving free points.
According to BCCI officials, the Indian squad is only permitted to boycott Pakistan during the competition; however, doing so will give Pakistan bonus points. With these points, Men in Green may possibly make it to the championship final and win the title. Why should Pakistan receive freebies?
India’s hegemony within the Asian bloc may erode
Thus far, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has been dominated by India. The tournament will be a failure if the Indian squad boycotts Pakistan. This will eventually hurt India’s standing in the ACC and have an impact on the tournament’s revenue as well. However, by starting a campaign to turn other nations against it, Pakistan can gain an advantage over India.
