Tag: Harbhajan Singh

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh expressed his concerns regarding India’s men’s cricket team’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan, citing security issues.

In a video that went viral on social media, Singh was asked to share his opinion on whether India should visit Pakistan for the multi-national event.

In response, the former spinner said if their players are not safe in the country then they will not send them. He also challenged Pakistan to proceed with the tournament even if India opt to pull out.

“If our players are not safe in Pakistan, we won’t send the team. If you want to play, play; if not, don’t,” said Harbhajan Singh in a video shared on X, formerly Twitter.

“Indian cricket can still survive without Pakistan. If you guys can survive without Indian cricket, then do it,” Harbhajan added.

For the unversed, uncertainty surrounds India’s participation in the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, considering the long-going political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

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However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, earlier this week, denied the reports suggesting that the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Shukla, during a telephonic conversation with an Indian media outlet, asserted that the cricketing body has not issued any information regarding their team’s participation in the global event.

“We do not know which source gave such information. BCCI has not put out any official information regarding this,” Shukla told ThePrint over the phone.

It is worth noting that India has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

In contrast, Pakistan has made four trips to India in the last 16 years. Their most recent visit was last year for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.

READ: PCB Chairman announces ‘zero-tolerance policy’ for discipline violation

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh termed Pakistan a tricky challenge for India ahead of their much-anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 clash.

Two of the most fierce competitors in the game of cricket — Pakistan and India — will lock horns at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.

Meanwhile, former spinner Harbhajan, while talking to a local news channel, asserted that the seizure of the bilateral series between the two cricketing nations will make the encounter a tricky one.

“At the end of the day, playing against Pakistan is always (tricky) as both countries do not play much against each other. We do not know much about their strong and weak zones but the Indian management keeps track of every player and their strong and weak zones,” Harbhajan said.

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Harbhajan Singh also acknowledged Pakistan’s bowling department’s mental and physical strength but insisted that the Indian team will counter them.

“In the bowling department too, Pakistan bowlers keep themselves mentally and physically strong. These aspects will be taken care of by the Indian team. These things will come into play when both sides will battle it out on the field,” he said.

Earlier, Harbhajan Singh slamed at the idea of drop-in pitches for the blockbuster clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, raising concerns about the unpredictability of the surface.

“Pitches there [Nassau Cricket Stadium] are known to none to be honest. Even the pitch curators might not know how many times will this pitch last. How much heat would be there how much water has been put in? How much bounce would it offer?,” Harbhajan said during a press conference.

“Once those practice games are played there, then we will get to know how the pitch is acting. And then we can think about combinations. Prior knowing that, we can’t say about team combinations.”

READ: Virat Kohli plays down hype around Pakistan-India T20 World Cup clash

KARACHI: Former Indian international cricketer Harbhajan Singh praised the Pakistan team for outplaying India by 10 wickets to win their first-ever match against arch-rivals in T20 World Cup. 

Speaking to Indian tv, Harbhajan said he had never seen such a performance by the Pakistan team against India.

“I have never seen a Pakistan team playing like they did yesterday. They were phenomenal and outclassed India in all three departments,” the Indian cricketer-cum-analyst said.

Harbhajan applauded Pakistani openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for making it a one-sided contest for their team.

“Babar and Rizwan were on the mark. They batted brilliantly and played proper cricketing shots throughout. Especially Babar, he is exceptional and leading Pakistan from the front,” he maintained.

Meanwhile, Harbhajan suggested some changes to the Indian team for upcoming matches. “I think they should bring in Ishan Kishan at the top-order, pushing KL Rahul at number 4. Bhuvneshwar Kumar should be out,” he was quoted saying.

READ: WATCH: Babar’s father breaks into ‘tears of happiness’