Key Points

Tehseen Poonawalla condemned the scheduling of the game, citing recent terror attacks and escalating tensions between the two nations.

"The entire nation—140 crore Indians—do not want any relationship with Pakistan and also don't want to play cricket,” he told IANS.

He raised serious concerns about the involvement of Mohsin Naqvi, the President of the Asian Cricket Council and Chairperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.

“This is the same man who has publicly backed Asim Munir and once suggested a nuclear strike on India. How can we play cricket with a country whose top officials talk about nuclear war?” he said.

Referring to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam earlier, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, Poonawalla alleged direct links between the attack and hate speeches made by Asim Munir.

“Those terrorists were trained in Pakistan. The hatred fueled by their Army chief, Asim Munir, led to that bloodshed. Our government has only paused, not ended, Operation Sindoor. How then can we justify sharing a field with them?” he said.

Poonawalla also criticised Pakistani cricketers, specifically mentioning Pakistani former cricketer Shahid Afridi.

“We saw Afridi and others rallying on bikes and supporting Pakistan terrorists. Some even mocked the attacks with memes on social media. And now we’re supposed to play cricket, shake hands, and act like nothing happened?” he said.

Dismissing suggestions that the match is financially motivated, Poonawalla claimed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not profited from this arrangement.

“TV broadcasting rights were sold for a mere Rs 1,450 crore over seven years. That money doesn't go to BCCI—it flows to the Asian Cricket Council and eventually to Pakistan's board. Our money is funding the same nation that breeds terrorism. This is simply unacceptable. The whole country will boycott the match," he stated.

It's time for another India vs Pakistan clash, yet the mood surrounding it feels far from festive. The nation is still haunted by the cowardly and tragic events that unfolded in Pahalgam just five months ago, and in times as grim as these, cricket naturally takes a back seat.

The announcement of the match in July, just months after Operation Sindoor, sparked uproar from all quarters. Just days ahead of the match, social media has again blown up with hashtags like #BoycottIndvsPak, with voices from veterans to actors to senior journalists, and even former cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh, urging fans to shun the game as a protest against Pakistan's support for terrorism.

Meanwhile, Pakistan enters the Asia Cup on the back of a tri-nation T20 series win against Afghanistan and the UAE in Sharjah.

India was slated to host the tournament as per the hosting rights schedule, and while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains the official host of the tournament, it is being played in the UAE due to the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

- IANS