In the aftermath of the dastardly Pulwama terror attack, there have been many voices who are advocating to abandon all the ties with Pakistan at every front be it trade, cricket, film etc. People are demanding to boycott Pakistan in the ICC World Cup, 2019.
Bilateral series have been suspended between India and Pakistan for long but the two teams have been playing in ICC tournaments. Various cricketers and former BCCI officials have denied the possibility of further playing with the neighboring country. Former Team India player and popularly known as Turbanator, Harbhajan Singh clearly suggested that the country is above the sport and suggested that India should not play with the men in green. Now, former team India player Mohammad Kaif also shared a similar opinion.
Mohammad Kaif didn’t mince his words and said, “SA were banned by ICC because of racism and were only readmitted in 1992. As far as know India had cut off all trade ties with South Africa then. Racism,as serious an issue as it is,terrorism is a big big issue & a nation indulging in it has to be dealt with in d most severe way.”
SA were banned by ICC because of racism and were only readmitted in 1992. As far as know India had cut off all trade ties with South Africa then. Racism,as serious an issue as it is,terrorism is a big big issue & a nation indulging in it has to be dealt with in d most severe way pic.twitter.com/RErHjVJgod
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) February 23, 2019
A nation like Pakistan which uses terrorism as its foreign policy especially against India must be boycotted at every front. The government is working in the direction to isolate Pakistan internationally, and cricketers like Harbhajan Singh and Mohammad Kaif are also echoing similar sentiments. India is the biggest victim of Pakistan sponsored terrorism and therefore it is the prime responsibility of its compatriots to do every possible thing in order to neutralize terrorist nation called Pakistan. The international community has also extended its support to India, like never before.
Former BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said, “How can you expect India to play Pakistan at the time we have lost so many of our brothers in these cowardly terrorist attacks? I am of the firm view that India should not play Pakistan in the coming World Cup.”
Sanjay Patel further asserted that playing with Pakistan in the World Cup will signify that cricket is being prioritized over the nation’s image. He went on to add, “For me, India is first and it’s not only me who has such a sentiment. Ask any Indian now, and they will be of the same view. Cricket will only take place if terrorism is stopped. I hope the current COA and BCCI takes note of it. There is always a limit to everything and this time all limits have been crossed.”
In the wake of the atrocious attack in Pulwama, Pakistan has been cornered from a cricketing point of view as well. Various associations including Cricket Club of India, Punjab Cricket Association, IMG-Reliance and DSport asserted that India doesn’t want any further relationship with Pakistan.
As far as Mohammad Kaif is concerned, it’s not the first time that he has taken a bold stand on the issue concerning the nation. Earlier, he took a jibe at Imran Khan’s act of teaching India the lesson of tolerance. Kaif had tweeted, “There were around 20% minorities at the time of Partition in Pakistan, less than 2% remain now. On the other hand, the minority population has grown significantly in India since Independence. Pakistan is the last country that should be lecturing any country on how to treat minorities.”
For more details: Mohammad Kaif destroys Imran Khan’s rant on India’s ‘intolerance’