Harbhajan Singh to Pakistan anchor: ‘If you feel, you don’t want to come to India, please don’t. Who is asking you?’

Shah, who is also the ACC chief, set into motion plans to change the venue of the Asia Cup to a neutral spot and the declaration of said plan has caused ripples in the Pakistan cricket community. Singh was part of a panel called to discuss the issue.

“Ramiz Raza had given a statement last year that Pakistan Cricket does not have the kind of money and that they need to look towards the BCCI. Either that or if the BCCI offers PCB money, Pakistan cricket is surviving. If you feel, you don’t want to come to India, please don’t. Who is asking you? If you don’t want to play the ICC event, it’s your call. If our players are not safe there, we won’t send. Don’t play if that’s what you want,” Harbhajan said on Aaj Tak’s special show with Pakistan’s ARY News.

The conversation got heated when the anchor said that if this was a World Cup, and not the Asia Cup, India would have travelled to their neighbouring state.

“Harbhajan sahab abhi keh rahe hain, ‘Hum nahi aayenge’. Mera inko challenge hai… agar ICC ka tournament, woh bhi World Cup Pakistan mein hua, ye na aayein toh mujhe batayein,” said the anchor. (Harbhajan sir is saying right now that India won’t come to Pakistan. I challenge him… that if a World Cup is held in Pakistan, and the Indian team doesn’t come, we shall see).

In response, Singh accepted the ‘challenge’, saying that Indian cricket did not need the PCB. “Toh le liya bhai tera challenge (I accept your challenge). Indian cricket knows how to run their cricket. We don’t need PCB. We have an issue and we have said it. If the government gives the approval, sure,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, Kamran Akmal told the same news channel that the ACC chief’s decision was poorly timed and that these matters should have been discussed first internally.

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Akmal also said that Pakistan have been playing outside Pakistan for so many years and countries were finally coming to them to play cricket.

“Why can’t India also come for Asia Cup. In 2011, didn’t we play there in India. The situation was the same. I would love India-Pakistan games to continue. There shouldn’t be politics. Cricket unites us. If we can’t play together, what’s the use of us having borders next to each other (as neighbours)?” Akmal said on Ary News.

He then added, “BCCI is such a big board. Maturity was needed. These talks could have happened after the World Cup. Both sit together and decide. Not ideal before a game like this.”