KEY POINTS
- Sunil Gavaskar says decisions lie with the Indian government and BCCI
- India Champions recently refused to play Pakistan in the Legends League
ISLAMABAD: Former Indian captain and legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar has said that players have no role in deciding whether India should play Pakistan in international cricket, stressing that such decisions rest solely with the government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“The players are helpless,” he said. “They’ve been picked to play, and if the government gives the green light, they play. If not, the BCCI acts accordingly.”
Speaking to Indian media, Gavaskar made it clear that decisions of this nature lie entirely in the hands of the Indian government and the BCCI, not the cricketers themselves.
“Players are contracted to the BCCI and follow what the government says. Criticising them for playing or not playing is unfair,” Gavaskar added.
Tensions on and off the field
Tensions between India and Pakistan have recently risen, straining diplomatic relations once again.
These developments have led to online calls urging Indian teams to cut sporting ties with Pakistan – even in senior-level tournaments like the Asia Cup.
Earlier this month, India Champions, part of the Legends League, chose not to play against Pakistan in a scheduled match.
But unlike that tournament, the Asia Cup — a key event in the cricketing calendar — is going ahead as planned, with both nations in the same group.
The BCCI confirmed India’s participation on August 19, unveiling a strong 15-member squad led by Suryakumar Yadav.
Asia Cup 2025
The tournament will be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28, with matches hosted across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Eight teams are split into two groups:
Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong
India will begin its campaign on September 10 against the UAE in Dubai, followed by the much-awaited showdown with Pakistan on September 14.
Their final group match is set for September 19 against Oman in Abu Dhabi.
The Super Four stage will run from September 20 to 26, and the final will take place in Dubai on September 28.
India’s Squad for Asia Cup 2025:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson
