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Congress MP Tariq Anwar on Saturday emphasised that deciding not to play against Pakistan in tournaments like the Asia Cup poses a significant challenge, suggesting it's impractical to boycott matches against a specific country in international sports.
Notably, India will face Pakistan in the Asia Cup on September 14 in Dubai. Commenting on the upcoming match, Anwar stated that it is up to the Government of India to decide whether they will participate in international tournaments, such as the Asia Cup. "Govt of India will have to decide if it does not want to participate in international tournaments like the Asia Cup. It is not possible not to play against one specific country in international tournaments. You will have to play against teams," Anwar told ANI. The Congress MP further stated that it is a significant decision not to participate in any international tournament where Pakistan is playing. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday questioned India's participation in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 match against Pakistan, asking, "If blood and water cannot flow together, then how can blood and cricket flow together?" Speaking to reporters, Thackeray said, "Our Prime Minister said blood and water cannot flow together, then how can blood and cricket flow together. How can war and cricket be at the same time?... They have done business in patriotism. The business of patriotism is only for money. They are going to play the match tomorrow also because they want all the money they will get from that match..." However, BJP MP Anurag Thakur, commenting on India's participation, asserted that participation in multinational tournaments organised by the ACC or ICC is a "compulsion" for nations; however, he emphasised that India does not play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan and will continue to avoid them until terrorist attacks on the country stop. However, ahead of the upcoming India-Pakistan match, scheduled for September 14, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team is leaving no stone unturned in their training sessions and continues to focus on skill refinement. (ANI)
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