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Cricket PlayersAzharuddin fumes after Asia Cup nod for India vs Pakistan, calls out double standards: 'Don’t play tournaments if...'
Mohammad Azharuddin slammed India for agreeing to play Pakistan in Asia Cup, citing double standards after WCL boycott over Pahalgam terror attack.
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin stirred fresh debate on Sunday after the Asia Cup received the green light, confirming that arch-rivals India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group and will face each other on September 14. The tournament will be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Speaking to the media, Azharuddin fumed at India agreeing to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup, calling out the double standards. He argued that they shouldn't face each other in multi-nation tournaments if the two sides don't play bilateral series.
Azharuddin said, "I always say that everything should happen, or if it does not happen, then it should not happen at all. If you're not playing bilateral matches, then you shouldn't play international events too, that's what I believe. But whatever the government and the board decide will happen...".
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His comment came about a week after the Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions side refused to play against the Pakistan Champions in Birmingham during the ongoing second season of the World Championship of Legends, prompting organisers to cancel the match. The players' decision was rooted in heightened political tensions between the two nations following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
Azharuddin also weighed in on India's stance in the WCL fixture. "The veterans' league is not official, it's not sanctioned by the ICC or the BCCI, it's conducted privately but the Asia Cup is a tournament governed by the ACC," he noted.
Putting an end to months of chatter, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, on Saturday, announced the dates for the 17th edition of the Asia Cup. The tournament will be played in the T20 format, keeping the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind, and will feature eight teams for the first time in history.
India and Pakistan are part of Group A, alongside Oman and hosts UAE, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Teams finishing top of the table will move to the Super Four stage, before the finalists are decided, implying the Asia Cup could witness as many as three India versus Pakistan clashes.
India will head into the tournament as the defending champions, having defeated Sri Lanka in the 2023 final, while the Islanders were champions last time Asia Cup was held in the T20 format, beating Pakistan in the 2022 final.
