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'Le liya bhai tera challenge': Harbhajan shuts Pakistan anchor with savage 'Indian cricket doesn't need Pakistan' reply
Harbhajan Singh and a Pakistan anchor were involved in a heated exchange during a live TV show on a news channel when the latter questioned Jay Shah's announcement that India will not be travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year.
Harbhajan Singh and a Pakistan anchor were involved in a heated exchange during a live TV show on a news channel when the latter questioned Jay Shah's announcement that India will not be travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year. The ACC chief's decision to move the tournament out of Pakistan and stage it at a neutral venue has not gone down well with authorities at the other end of the border and continues to cause a ripple effect. When the Pakistan anchor got into an argument with his Indian counterpart, Harbhajan stepped in to offer his view.
The whole debate snowballed when the anchor mentioned that India are showing reluctance to travel for the Asia Cup, but if even a World Cup is held in Pakistan, the Indian cricket team will most certainly travel given the importance of the tournament. With Pakistan mulling a potential pull-out from next year's 50-over World Cup – scheduled to be held in India – Harbhajan had a befitting reply where he used PCB chief's statement from 2021.
"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.
"Of course, we have (security concerns). You tell me that you'll take the guarantee? Indian cricket can still survive without Pakistan, and if you guys can survive without Indian cricket, do it."
Things escalated when the reported laid out a 'challenge' to Harbhajan on live television, saying: "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 (Harbhajan sir is very confidently 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).
Clearly miffed by statement, Harbhajan lashed out at the reported, accepting his challenge. "Toh le liya bhai tera challenge (I accept your challenge, buddy). 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," the former India spinner said.
Surprisingly, the discussion, which had clearly by now heated up, did not end there. The anchor brought up BCCI's firm stance on no India-Pakistan bilateral series. He tried to make a point, saying that unlike India, Pakistan do not have security concerns and yet the board hasn't warmed up to the idea of the two teams playing a limited-overs of a Test series since 2012/13, to which Harbhajan had a calm and composed reaction.
"See, that is not in my hands, right? It is not my decision. If everyone feels the situation is fine, and that the two countries should play cricket, the authorities will take that call, and there will be cricket. And it has never happened previously that a team has come to India to play a series and had any issues," the former spinner concluded.
