As soon as Jay Shah, the secretary of the Indian cricket board, confirmed that India won’t travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup, many cricketers and players from the neighbouring country have been slamming the Indian board for the decision.
Harbhajan Singh, the former Indian cricketer, slammed a Pakistani anchor who tried to take a dig at India for the same. During Aaj Tak’s special show with Pakistan’s ARY news, the spin bowler said that no one asked Pakistan to travel to India for multi-team events and added that if they feel like not travelling, he requested them to stay in Pakistan itself.
“Ramiz Raza had given a statement last year that Pakistan Cricket does not have the kind of money and that they need to look towards the Indian cricket board. Either that or if the Indian cricket board offers PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) money, Pakistan cricket is surviving. If you feel, you don’t want to come to India, please don’t. Who is asking you? If you don’t want to play the Cricket’s governing body event, it’s your call. If our players are not safe there, we won’t send. Don’t play if that’s what you want,” Harbhajan said in the show.
Watch the video here:
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— AajTak (@aajtak) October 22, 2022
We don’t need PCB: Harbhajan
Test nations like England and Australia toured Pakistan recently and many Pakistani officials pointed out the same and compared the teams to India saying that the Indian cricket board is not touring because of political reasons. Reasonably, the two countries are in an ongoing political rift and it is not something new.
When the Pakistani anchor challenged the off-spinner to boycott the World Body events in future if it takes place in Pakistan, Harbhajan accepted and hit back saying that Indian cricket does not need PCB to survive.
“Harbhajan sahab abhi keh rahe hain, ‘Hum nahi aayenge’. Mera inko challenge hai… agar Cricket’s governing body ka tournament, woh bhi World Cup Pakistan mein hua, ye na aayein toh mujhe batayein (Harbhajan sir is very confidently saying right now that India won’t come to Pakistan. I challenge him… that if a World Cup is held in Pakistan, and the Indian team doesn’t come, we shall see)” the Pakistani anchor challenged.
“Oh le liya bhai tera challenge (I accept your challenge, buddy). Indian cricket knows how to run their cricket. We don’t need PCB. We have an issue and we have said it. If the government gives the approval, sure,” Harbhajan hit back at the anchor.
“See, that is not in my hands, right? It is not my decision. If everyone feels the situation is fine, and that the two countries should play cricket, the authorities will take that call, and there will be cricket. And it has never happened previously that a team has come to India to play a series and had any issues,” said the off-spinner further.
