India should not play Pakistan in 2019 Cricket World Cup: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh said India should not play Pakistan in their World Cup match in Manchester on June 16 after the terror attack in Pulwama killed 40 personnel of the CRPF. Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the ghastly act.

Harbhajan Singh said India are powerful enough to do well in the World Cup without having to play Pakistan. India will need to forfeit valuable points if they concede their fourth match of the tournament.

"India should not play Pakistan in the world Cup. India are powerful enough to win the World Cup without having to play Pakistan," Harbhajan Singh told Aaj Tak.

He added: "This is a difficult time. The attack that has happened, it was unbelievable and it's very wrong. Strict action will surely be taken by the government. When it comes to cricket, I don't think we should have any relations with them otherwise they will keep treating us like this.

"I don't think we need to have any relations with Pakistan or play any cricket with them.

"I don't think India should play the World Cup match against Pakistan. Country comes first and we are all standing behind our country. Cricket or hockey or sports, it should be kept aside because this is a huge thing and repeatedly our soldiers are killed. We should stand with our country. Cricket or hockey or any sport, we don't need to play with them."

What if India meet Pakistan in the semi-final or the final?

But what if India need to play Pakistan in either the semi-final or the final of the World Cup? Harbhajan said India can cross the bridge when it came to it in that case.

"We are too small to discuss what needs to be done - there are big people sitting in power who can take a call.

"What happens if we have to play Pakistan in the semi-final or final? There's plenty of time for June-July. The people in power will need what to do. But nobody can harm India. What happened in Pulwama is tragic. We are safe today only because of our defence forces," Harbhajan said.

India do not play bilateral cricket with Pakistan and Harbhajan said India should not keep any kind of ties with Pakistan.

"We should not keep any kind of ties with Pakistan: we are powerful enough to feed the world on our own. Cricket, sports is not as important. We stand with every member of the defence force. Their sacrifices should no go to waste. Before cricket, the main things should be sorted out. How that happens can be decided by the government. Till those problems are solved, India should not play cricket or any sport with them," he said.

India withdrew the MFN status for Pakistan the day after the attack and diplomatic efforts are on to isolate Pakistan internationally.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board called the Indian official broadcasters of the Pakistan Super League, DSport's decision to suspend coverage and the removal of Pakistan cricketers' portraits from cricket clubs across India as "regrettable".

Also, IMG Reliance on Sunday pulled out from broadcasting the Pakistan Super League, meaning the PSL will go off air unless the PCB brings in an alternate production service.

"Unfortunately, denying India cricket fans the right to follow HBL PSL by blocking all digital coverage as well as covering or removing portrait of former Pakistan cricket captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan and other legendary cricketers from one of the most historic cricket clubs and venues are highly regrettable actions," the PCB said.

"The PCB intends to take up these incidents with the BCCI and the ICC at the upcoming ICC committee meeting in Dubai later this month."

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...crpf-kashmir-1459104-2019-02-18#close-overlay

 

What a dumb comment: "India are powerful enough to win the World Cup without having to play Pakistan"

Facepalm x10.

 

The Cricket Club of India, among the country's oldest clubs, also joined calls for the national team to stay away from the June 16 match in Britain, as Indians accused Pakistan of not doing enough to stop militants from operating on its soil.

Pakistan has denied any involvement in the suicide attack on a military convoy that killed 40 paramilitary police last week, the bloodiest loss by Indian security forces in decades.

"Let's boycott Pakistan in @ICC Cricket World Cup! Let's stand together against the terrorism they are sponsoring," cricket fan Ishan Datta said in a tweet.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) governs world cricket.

Another Indian cricket supporter said India's cricket body, one of the world's richest, should use its influence to force Pakistan out of the ICC.

"Either India will be part of World Cup 2019 or Pakistan. You have enough funds to pull this off," the supporter tweeted.

The Cricket Club of India (CCI) said it supported a boycott of Pakistan at the World Cup in June.

"Though CCI is a sporting association, nation comes first, even before sports," Suresh Bafna, its secretary, told Reuters partner ANI.

In CCI's Mumbai office, a cloth had been placed over a portrait of former Pakistan captain and current Prime Minister Imran Khan, ANI and other media reported.

Photographs of Pakistani cricketers were removed from inside a cricket stadium in the northern Indian state of Punjab, which borders Pakistan, Indian media reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who faces an election that must be held by May, has promised a strong response. Pakistan has recalled its ambassador to India for consultations amid escalating tensions.

https://bdnews24.com/cricket/2019/0...tt-pakistan-in-world-cup-after-kashmir-attack

 

its a shame cricketers are being drawn into the politics of all this. if the ICC were a professional outfit, any refusal to honour the schedule in an ICC tournament should be met with strict punitive measures.

on the flip side, I would hope that Pakistan suspends all attempts at playing India, and concentrated fully on developing its own market which ought to be the second biggest on the planet. just like with the DRS, the indians will come running back, whimpering like they always do.

its one thing to take a stance on proven fact, and quite another to act on wild, politicised speculation.

 

We are powerful enough to win the world cup without playing Pakistan.

Is he for real.

Some deluded ex-cricket players on both side of the border.

 

Okay but time to walk the walk. Too much talking going on by the Indians.

 

Truth told by Bhajji. It's time Pakistan stopped sponsoring terror (I did share the JEM link in my last post before people ask for proof)

 

Filled with arrogance they are. Watch what happens to them.

 

yaaaay free points bois

 

And we thought our ex players were deluded.

 

Can't blame the likes of Harbhajan. Look at the campaigns that have been launched against Sidhu and Javed Jaffrey.

 

Someone should check his mental status please.

We are more than happy if that happens but they have no balls to walk the talk. He should just stick to drinking some sasta taara

 

And along with all fabricated news that is going live on all Indian mainstream media. This is shockingly dangerous on all levels.

 

It would be a win win situation for Pakistan at the moment. This strategy of isolating Pakistan will come back to haunt them. It would be funny if Pakistan makes it to the semis (which they normally do in major events) with the help India conceding points to Pakistan and India on the other hand exiting the tournament (any thing can happen in a game of cricket). The strategy would fall flat on the face.

Although Indian board members are sharp people, dont think they will do this.

 

imagine how many people waste time sitting in front of the tv watching the news, imagine how many people get themselves easily manipulated and brainwashed

 

Fact is both sides are no angels.

Disgusting mud slinging going on.

Harbujo should pipe down and take a chill pill. India not playing Pakistan is good for Pakistan and bad for BCCI and ICC.

Looking forward to this worldcup

 

What mud slinging has been done by Pakistan? It's great to always being up the both sides argument but how is it valid here?

 

Pakistan funds terrorists in Kashmir

 

So does india to terrorist in Pakistan, its nothing new, and is not likely to change

 

"Truth" eh?

Lets hope the fanatic and fascist govt of India stands firm with this "Truth" - and forfeit the game against Pakistan.
Lets walk the walk.

 

It will be the usual Indian response of we cant play Pakistan because it is against our morals and principles except for in ICC tournaments when we forget all our morals and principles because they were never a real thing (in relation to sports ties) anyway.

 

Get a new shtick.

 

And Kulbhushan Yadav is your uncle too, right?

 

There is no proof of him being anything more than an Indian who was kidnapped from Iran. The ICJ will rule on India's side, iA

 

Even Iran has not claimed that he was kidnapped from Iran. The fact that he has another original passport with a Muslim name tells everything. It’s easier to believe on India staging a false flag operation to defame Pakistan than believing Pakistan actually kidnapping a serving Indian officer from Iran, and Iran remaining mute about it. Interestingly a former raw boss has said recently that he can’t rule out the possibility of tradable being an Indian spy

 

These ex-cricketers use such incidents as tool to stay relevant. Also, Pakistan bashing sales well in India, so its easy point scoring too.

 

Let me add 2 cents in it.

Since get-go India has been denying that he is a serving Indian officer, however, to this date they failed to provide any prove that Kulbhushan Jadhav took early retirement.

 

India will give proof to ICJ, not to rogue states

 

Yeah, come and rave here when they will.

 

By sending Yadev to destabilize Pak, india is the one who has been acting as rogue state.There have been many spies caught doing terrorism in Pak, Yadev is just one of them.

 

No proof. Meanwhile UN declared terrorist Hafiz Saeed is in Pakistan.

 

What proof do you want , what was the guy doing in Pak in first place? The claim that he was kidnapped from iran is hilarious, else Iran would have protested with Pakistan.
If Hafiz is in Pak, than a former black listed guy is india's PM!
And you should never talk about proof, proof is something india never come up with, uri, pathankot or the recent incident, not a single proof was provided in any incident.
Imagine india capturing a serving Pak army officer in india with 2 passports and Pak asking for proof that he was indeed captured from india!
Hypocrites!

 

Why do you people fall for his bait? Ignore.

 

so you are saying that our jawaans were brave enough to go inside Iran and capture him!! kia baat hai humaray jawaaanow ki !

 

Not just cricket, cut off all sporting ties with Pakistan: Ganguly

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly Wednesday called for severing all sporting ties with Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terror attack which left 40 CRPF personnel martyred.

Ganguly echoed sentiments of his one-time teammate Harbhajan Singh, saying that not playing Pakistan in one group league tie in the upcoming World Cup will not affect India's chances.


However, Ganguly didn't elaborate whether the protest should be symbolic for one game or India should forfeit if they happen to meet Pakistan in semi-final or final.

"This is a 10-team World Cup and each team plays matches against every other team and I feel if India doesn't play a match in the World Cup, it won't be an issue," Ganguly told India TV.

"I feel it will be really difficult for ICC to go on with a World Cup without India. But, you also have to see if India has the power to stop ICC from doing such a thing. But, personally I feel a strong message should be sent," Ganguly added.

Ganguly said India should to cut off all ties with the neighbouring country.

"And, whatever reactions came from the people of India...was right. There is no chance of a bilateral series with Pakistan after this incident. I agree that after this attack, India should not only stop playing cricket, hockey or football with Pakistan but should cut all ties with them," Ganguly said.

https://www.business-standard.com/a...ies-with-pakistan-ganguly-119022001336_1.html

 

Gangulys turn now

 

Gotta give it to the Indians. They do rally behind their troops and follow a single narrative without question.

When such incidents happen in Pakistan the first few things we say are intelingence failure, cleaning up our own home, addressing the problems within etc.

The Indians showing the world how to stand as one.

 

In my opinion, many in the Indian public are simply dancing like a monkey on a "dugdugi's" drumbeats.
It's all a drama by the media and govt, and public is being made fool.

India will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER start a full fledged war with Pakistan.

If we think logically, only and only and only the current govt of Modi/BJP will get advantage of this unfortunate incident.
There is no other winner in this.

 

India has apparently asked ICC to throw Pak out of the WC

ROFL

 

they wont do it, but the iCC should suspect india if they decide to bring politics into the tournament. they reckon the ICC willl struggle without india? I dont think so. I wonder how big the Indian cricket industry will be if the ICC bars all international players from playing against them.