The former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh shared his thoughts on whether India should participate or not in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. The event is planned to take place in Pakistan. He expressed concerns regarding the safety of the Indian cricket team.
Harbhajan Singh thinks Indian team shouldn’t go to Pakistan
In a recent interview, Harbhajan emphasized that the Indian government would need to assess the security measures in place before they make any decisions about sending the team to Pakistan.
“What they say is what they think is right while what we say is our point of view. I feel the security concerns are always there and if the security of the players is not ensured there then I don’t think that the team should go there,” said Harbhajan Singh.
“If they say that the teams will get full security and there is no hassle then it’s on the government to think and make decisions because in the end, it’s not just about cricketing matters and the issue goes beyond. As a cricketer, I can say if you wish to play cricket, play cricket but the security concern is always there and players should not go there until the security is guaranteed,” he added.
Historical context between two teams
Given the current strained political ties between India and Pakistan, it seems unlikely that the BCCI will permit the team to compete in Pakistan. Earlier, the BCCI chose not to send the team for the 2023 Asia Cup, which led to the PCB organizing the event in a hybrid format, with India’s matches held in Sri Lanka.
India last played a series in Pakistan back in 2008, and the most recent bilateral series took place during the 2012-13 season. Following the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009, cricketing activities in Pakistan were suspended until 2019. Since then, Pakistan has not hosted an ICC event since the ODI World Cup in 1996.
