‘Little surprised that this match is going to happen’
Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary shared his thoughts on whether the India-Pakistan clash should take place, saying that he is very surprised that the match is being scheduled after the Pahalgam terror attack.
India will kick off their campaign against the UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14, with both fixtures set to be played in Dubai. India will play their final group-stage fixture against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
The question of whether this popular cricketing fixture should go ahead has been a massive point of debate leading up to the tournament, especially after Indian legends did not play their matches against Pakistan in the World Championships of Legends (WCL) recently due to tensions between the two nations. While some voices have supported the match going ahead as it is a multi-national tournament with a title at stake, a large section has been equally vocal in calling for a boycott.
The reason is Operation Sindoor, launched in May by the Indian Armed Forces against Pakistan-backed terror groups following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The Indian Armed Forces carried out targeted strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Speaking to ANI about the India-Pakistan match, Manoj Tiwary said, "I am a little surprised that this match is going to happen... After the Pahalgam attack, in which so many innocent civilians were killed, and then the war that followed, a lot of talk was going on that this time we will give a befitting reply. Despite this, after a few months, everything has been forgotten... I find it hard to believe that this match is happening, that the value of a human life can be zero. What do they want to achieve by playing with Pakistan?... The value of a human life should be more than sports... There is no question of me watching the match at all..."
Team India for the Asia Cup 2025 was unveiled on Tuesday, with skipper Suryakumar leading the squad and Shubman Gill as his deputy, while several major names were missing. The squad was announced during a press conference attended by T20I skipper Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, following a selection meeting that also featured BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
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