Voices Of Protest Intensify Against India-Pak Asia Cup Clash

New Delhi: Voices of protest have intensified across the nation over the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan.

Residents of Delhi feel India should not play against Pakistan in the current scenario. They said cricket has become not just a game but a "business", in which national sentiments are being ignored.

A few locals argued when Pakistan's hockey team can refuse to play against India, why can't the Indian cricket team do the same? A local, Pradeep said Pakistan has been repeatedly attacking India. Referring to the recent Pahalgam attack, he said that the country has not yet recovered from the wounds inflicted by the cowardly attack on tourists at the Kashmir's hill retreat.

In such a situation, sending a message of friendship through cricket is not acceptable to people. Pradeep said, "I boycott the match. This is not acceptable to me." Another resident named Siddharth Bansal called the incident shameful. He said, people do not want the Indian team to play with Pakistan. "It is only a game of money and we will oppose it," he said.

Students of Haryana's Kurukshetra University also voiced their concern over the upcoming clash between the arch rivals. Law student Tanuj said, "Matches between India and Pakistan in the last few years, have been exciting. But this time the picture is completely different. After innocent lives were lost in Pahalgam, it is not appropriate to play with Pakistan. The government and the cricket board should have shown sensitivity on the issue".

Pushpendra, another student of the university, said that "We appeal the government and BCCI to refrain from organising any match with Pakistan".

Mohammad Aftab Alam of Muzaffarpur district of Bihar is also against the clash. Aftab Alam said it is unfortunate for the country that India is playing cricket with the country that killed 26 innocent people. "I don't want any match between India and Pakistan," he said.

Aftab Alam was married in 2012 to his aunt's daughter (Fua) who was formerly from Belsand in Sitamarhi district but his aunt's in-laws were railway officers in Bangladesh, due to which everyone migrated there. After that, when Pakistan and Bangladesh were partitioned, they migrated to Pakistan.

Mohammad Aftab Alam (ETV Bharat)

Aftab's wife is a professor at Madhesia College in Pakistan and his daughter studies in Class V in a private school of the country. Aftab Alam had contested the Bihar Assembly elections from Aurai seat in 2020 on CPI (ML) ticket.

Today is India-Pakistan Match: Today is the sixth match of Asia Cup 2025 between India and Pakistan. This match will be played at the International Stadium in Dubai from 8 pm Indian time. For the first time after Operation Sindoor, the cricket team of India and Pakistan will face each other. However, people in India are opposing this match.

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