Asia Cup: Ex-cricketer urges India to boycott Pakistan clash - 'What's the point of playing with them?'

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has sparked a heated debate after calling for India to boycott their highly-anticipated Asia Cup fixture against arch-rivals Pakistan, scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. Tiwary’s comments come in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 people lost their lives to Pakistan-backed terrorism.Expressing his anger, Tiwary said that he has decided to personally boycott the tournament and urged the Indian team to take a stand as well. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Look, first of all, I am boycotting the Asia Cup personally. I don’t like to see it. And I don’t know who the squad is. And I don’t want to go into that much detail. As I mentioned earlier, I am personally boycotting it. I don’t like to see it because of the kind of environment it has been in, and where people have died in attacks in Pahalgam, we have seen a lot before,” Tiwary told ANI.The former India batter drew parallels with the Pulwama terror attack of 2019, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. “It happened in Pulwama as well. So when this happens, how can we enjoy the game? This is beyond my understanding. That’s why I am boycotting it personally,” he added.Tiwary also questioned the rationale behind playing Pakistan, pointing out that the ties bring little more than television ratings. “What is the benefit? You have to get TRP; you need revenue? If the ICC people cannot get rid of them, then you get rid of that game. In the other games, you do well. See what happens. This will be a statement from our country,” he asserted.He further underlined the emotional trauma families of martyrs endure when such fixtures are staged. “When we know that these terrorists are coming from our neighbouring country, Pakistan… What is the point of playing with Pakistan? Families who lost their members — in what mindset will they be? When a soldier sacrifices his life, it is not for us to play against the same country from which terrorists come. This should not happen,” Tiwary said.Tiwary’s strong words have once again placed the spotlight on the uneasy intersection of cricket, politics, and national sentiment ahead of the Asia Cup.