'No cricket in World Cups with Pakistan. No Bollywood, no dance': Gautam Gambhir attacks, calls for complete ban
Asked specifically about India playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup this year or the T20 World Cup, Gambhir placed the onus on the BCCI and the government.
India head Gautam Gambhir called for a complete ban on all interactions with Pakistan, including but not limited to cricket matches, Bollywood movies and cultural events, in the wake of the terror attack that took 26 lives on April 22 at the Baisaran meadow in the Pehelgam region of Kashmir.
India have severed bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. It briefly resumed for one three-match ODI series in India in 2012, but since then, they only play each other at multi-team events like the Asia Cup and ICC events (World Cups and Champions Trophies). At an ABP event, Gambhir said that even that should be discontinued.
"My personal answer to this, is absolutely no. This is my personal answer, ultimately this is government's decision, and ultimately, government will decide, whether we play Pakistan, or we don't play Pakistan, but for me, I have said this before, and many years ago, I had said this, that no cricket match, no Bollywood movie, no artist, any kind of interaction is more important than the lives of our people. No interaction is more important than the lives of our people, than the lives of our youth, than the lives of our people. Matches will keep happening, movies will keep being made, singers will keep singing, but the person whose family is lost, nothing bigger than that. This is my personal opinion, that till all this doesn't stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan," Gambhir said.
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After the gruesome terror attack that shook the entire nation, as innocent tourists were gunned down in broad daylight, India announced several measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties in view of cross-border links to the attack. Among other measures, India also blocked the social media accounts of influential Pakistani actors and sportspersons.
Asked specifically about India playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup this year or the T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka next year, Gambhir placed the onus on the BCCI and the government.
“Playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup or T20 World Cup is not up to me. Honestly, this is not even in my jurisdiction. I think it is up to BCCI and more importantly, it is up to the government to decide whether India plays Pakistan or not, so whatever decision, government makes, I think we should be absolutely fine with it and we should not politicise that. Whatever the government decides, let's stick to that.”
The next multinational tournament in which India and Pakistan can participate is the Asia Cup in September. The schedule for the tournament has yet to be finalised, but India and Pakistan are important members of the Asian Cricket Council.
In the recent Champions Trophy, India played all their games in Dubai and not the host country, Pakistan, owing to security concerns.
As part of an agreement between the BCCI, the Pakistan Cricket Board, and the ICC, all India-Pakistan matches in ICC events will be played in a neutral country until the 2027 cycle.
