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Cricket PlayersPatriotism when it suits? Stop the propaganda: Kaneria explodes at India’s Asia Cup nod days after WCL boycott
Danish Kaneria slammed India for playing Asia Cup after skipping WCL, calling it selective patriotism and urging an end to cricket propaganda.
Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria, on Sunday, called out the hypocrisy of India's agreement to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. This comes days after the players of the Indian Champions side refused to face their Pakistan counterpart in a league game in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL), citing geopolitical tensions between the two countries.
On Saturday, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, also chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), confirmed that the Asia Cup will be held this year between September 9 and 28 in the UAE. India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group, with the high-voltage clash set to take place on September 14. Moreover, the tournament format could likely see the two teams face each other three times.
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Taking to social media, Kaneria exposed India's selection patriotism and urged them to stop using sport as a medium of propaganda.
“Indian players boycotted WCL and called it national duty. But now Asia Cup vs Pakistan is just fine? If cricket with Pakistan is okay, then WCL should’ve been too. Stop using patriotism when it suits you. Let sport be sport — not propaganda,” he tweeted.
The WCL match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions was called off last week in Birmingham after several players from the Indian unit, including captain Yuvraj Singh, pulled out. The reason stemmed from the political tensions between the two neighbouring countries, which worsened after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, following which India conducted Operation Sindoor.
The Asia Cup this year will be played in the T20 format, keeping the next ICC tournament in mind, which is the T20 World Cup in early 2026, slated to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
India will head into the tournament as the defending champions, having won in 2023, in the ODI format, while Sri Lanka won last time the Asia Cup was played in the T20 format, in 2022.
India have been clubbed with Pakistan, Oman and hosts UAE in group A, while the other group comprises Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
