Former Indian Test cricketer Harbhajan Singh has once again politicised sports, calling the current situation in Pakistan unsuitable for the Indian team to participate in the upcoming Champions Trophy.

 

The 44-year-old former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh said in an interview with Indian outlet Sports Today, "If you (Pakistani) don't want to come to India, then don't, we don't have a problem. If Pakistan doesn't come to India, it won't make much difference. You can ask current cricketers, and they will have the same opinion."

 

The former cricketer had previously referred to the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team and said, "If the situation in Pakistan had been better, things could have been different."

 

He recalled, "When I went to Pakistan, we were hosted wonderfully. When we went to the market, they didn’t charge us for food, and people gave us gifts." However, he added, "Fans in Pakistan are unable to see Indian superstars like Virat Kohli play in their country, which saddens us, but India cannot send its team to Pakistan at this time."

 

 

 

The former Indian cricketer, keeping silent on the Indian refusal, advised Pakistan not to conflate the issue of the Champions Trophy.

 

"You cannot stop the tournament by remaining stubborn; there are many countries that want to host the event," he sarcastically remarked.

 

There is an ongoing separatist movement in India’s states of Manipur and Mizoram, while riots have erupted in Sambhal over the temple-mosque dispute, in which more than six Muslims were martyred. The Indian cricketers, however, remain silent about the religious tensions and violence spreading across their country.

 

Meanwhile, the dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the hosting of the upcoming Champions Trophy continues.

 

The ICC is considering various options, including shifting some matches to neutral venues, but a final decision is yet to be made.

 

According to some reports, PCB has agreed on the hybrid model under some conditions. Under this model, for all the upcoming matches for the next three years, Pakistan and India will play in a neutral venue. Pakistan is hosting the Champion Trophy 2025, and India will be hosting the T20 World Cup 2026. 

 

Yesterday, Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, has taken charge of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) chairmanship.

 

In a statement, the cricket watchdog confirmed that Shah had started working as its chairman.

 

"I am proud to take over the post of ICC chairman and grateful for the support and trust of the ICC directors and member boards. This is an exciting moment for the game. We are preparing for the 2028 Olympics... we are trying to make cricket more interesting for the fans and we are at an important juncture where different formats exist together," Shah said at the occasion.

 

"The development of women's game needs to be accelerated. Cricket has immense potential at the global level and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team as well as member countries to take the game to new heights," he added.

 

Earlier, it was reported that outgoing ICC boss Greg Barclay's term may be extended by one month amid the deadlock between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the BCCI on the issue of Champions Trophy 2025.