India to play against Pakistan in Asia Cup despite boycott calls

Recently, Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the Indian government for allowing the nation to play cricket against Pakistan. He raised some valid questions, such as if we can withhold water and diplomatically corner Pakistan on terrorism, and even if the government says that talks and terror cannot go together, then why allow India to play against Pakistan? Now, sources say that the government may allow India to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, as backing down could impulsively give winning points to Pakistan.

New Delhi: India and Pakistan may play a match in the Asia Cup cricket tournament on 14th September, but a large section of people in India is demanding to boycott this match.

The reason for this is believed to be Pakistan's support of terrorism and the increased tension between the two countries after the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack. However, the Indian government has clarified its stand on this issue and said that boycotting Pakistan would be like giving it a win without playing, which is not right.

Government's stand: Not boycott, but defeat on the field

According to government sources, the Asia Cup is a multi-team tournament, not just an India-Pakistan bilateral series. In such a situation, if India does not play a match against Pakistan, then Pakistan will win easily, which will be beneficial for it.

The government believes that instead of boycotting, India should enter the field and defeat Pakistan. This will not only maintain India's dominance but will also send a message that India does not back down from anyone on the sports field.

Giving the example of big tournaments like the Olympics, the government said that if an Indian player has to compete with a Pakistani athlete, should India accept defeat? No, rather India should accept the challenge and win. The same logic can be applied to the Asia Cup as well.

Political impact of cricket amid tension

After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India-Pakistan relations have become more tense. This has also affected sports. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to organize the Asia Cup matches in the UAE instead of India due to security reasons.

Apart from this, India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group in the tournament schedule, due to which at least one match between the two teams is certain. If both the teams reach the final, then there can be three matches.

Demand for boycott and public sentiment

Many former cricketers, politicians, and a large section of the general public in India want India to not play against Pakistan because Pakistan encourages terrorism. They believe that India will give a wrong message by playing a match with Pakistan on the sports field.

However, the government and some experts believe that sports and politics should be kept separate. Boycotting will give Pakistan a psychological advantage, while playing and winning the match will boost India's morale.