Gautam Gambhir’s View on India-Pakistan Cricket Amid Tensions
Indian Lives Matter More Than Cricket
With escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Gautam Gambhir, the Indian cricket team’s coach, has expressed his opinion on the continuation of cricket matches between the two countries. In a recent interview, Gambhir emphasized that the final decision rests with the government, but he personally believes that nothing can be valued more than the lives of Indian citizens.
Gambhir’s Firm Stand
“My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Until all this (terrorism) doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan,” Gambhir stated in an interview with ABP news.
Government’s Decision and Indian Lives
“Ultimately, this is the government’s decision whether we play them or not. I have said this before also, no cricket match or Bollywood or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens. Matches will keep happening, movies will be made, singers will continue to perform, but nothing comes close to losing a loved one in your family,” Gambhir added.
Asia Cup and T20 World Cup
When asked about playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup later this year and the next T20 World Cup, Gambhir responded, “This is not up to me, it’s not in my jurisdiction, this is for BCCI and more importantly, the government to decide whether we should play them or not. Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicize it.”
Sunil Gavaskar’s Proposal for Pakistan’s Removal from Asia Cup
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar recently suggested that Pakistan should be removed from the Asia Cup and proposed a 4 or 5-nation tournament to be held in India instead.
India’s Response to Pakistan-based Terrorists
Operation Sindoor
In related news, the Indian army confirmed on Wednesday that it had carried out Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Bahawalpur, a major base of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group. The strikes came days after a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
Blocking Pakistani Cricketers’ Social Media Accounts
In the days leading up to the terror attacks, the Indian government had also requested social media companies to block access to the accounts of many former and current Pakistani cricketers, including Shahid Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Wasim Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Shadab Khan, and Shoaib Akhtar.
