Former India batter Manoj Tiwary minced no words as he shredded the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for proceeding ahead with the Asia Cup encounter against Pakistan despite the mood of the nation. Calls continue to grow for a boycott of the upcoming match between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The arch-rivals might potentially square off thrice in the tournament if they make it to the Super 4s and the final.
The Sports Ministry on Thursday confirmed that India will take on Pakistan in multi-lateral events while the bilateral ties remain suspended. Ever since the terror attack in Pahalgam, the BCCI has been urged to boycott Pakistan in multi-nation events as well.
The upcoming match between India and Pakistan raises more eyebrows, considering what happened in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, where some of the Indian players pulled out, leading the organisers to cancel the game at the last minute.
India also pulled out of the semi-final, giving Pakistan a walkover into the final. The decision to go ahead with the match against Pakistan has also led to several opposition MPs raising this issue in the Parliament.
Tiwary also said that he won’t watch the match between India and Pakistan as a game does not hold more importance than human lives. The Pahalgam terror attack led to 26 tourists losing their lives. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“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,” Tiwary told ANI.
“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,” he added.
India and Pakistan name teams for Asia Cup
Both India and Pakistan have already named their squads for the upcoming Asia Cup, beginning September 9. While Pakistan named a 17-member squad, India opted to go in with a 15-member squad.
India left out Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the main squad. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team while Shubman Gill will serve as his deputy.
On the other hand, Pakistan left out Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from their team. Salman Ali Agha will captain the side. The Group A match between both these sides will take place on September 14 in Dubai.