Follow UsWith India set to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, the fixture has sparked widespread backlash due to Pakistan’s involvement in terror activities in India, particularly the recent Pahalgam attack that claimed several innocent lives.
Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has gone a step further, announcing that he will not just boycott the India-Pakistan clash in Dubai on September 14 (Sunday), but the entire tournament.
“It is a very unfortunate situation. The problem has been ongoing for years. From Pulwama to Pahalgam to Pathankot to all the numerous terrorist attacks. No Indian has forgotten this... You want to play the India vs Pakistan match in such a situation,” the TOI quoted Tiwary as saying.
“I have never been anti-sports; I have been a Cricket player, and I am a Sports Minister. I had said that on a personal front, I am boycotting the India vs Pakistan match as well as the Asia Cup because I cannot watch this. It needs to be understood that this is just a sport; this is not life. We are comparing human lives to sports; this should never be done.
“Only the families of those who die in the line of duty while defending the nation and innocent civilians who are killed in terrorist attacks can understand this. So, I feel this should not have happened.”
India kicked off their Asia Cup campaign with a commanding nine-wicket win over the UAE, chasing down a 58-run target with 93 balls to spare. Pakistan also began with a comfortable 93-run victory against Oman.