Is Cricket An Easy Target? India-Pak Face-Off Tonight Amid Boycott Call
Neeraj Chopra will be up against Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in less than a week's time. But, he hasn't been asked to withdraw from the event, unlike Indian cricketers.
- India and Pakistan will face off in the Asia Cup 2025 despite recent political tensions
- Indian cricketers face social media criticism questioning their patriotism during this match
- Cricket draws more boycott calls than other sports like hockey or athletics in Indo-Pak contests
Rivalries are celebrated, looked forward to, and debated among fans in every sport. However, as India and Pakistan gear up to square off in the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, the situation is a little more complex. While a section of fans is eagerly waiting for the contest to begin, another group is disappointed to see the fixture go ahead despite the recent political tensions between the two countries. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, what puts cricketers in a unique situation is that they are expected to do what no other Indian sportsman is. (Asia Cup 2025 LIVE Score: India vs Pakistan Live Updates | Follow here)
In a time when Suryakumar Yadav's men want to focus entirely on the task at hand, preparing for the match against Salman Ali Agha's Pakistan, they have had to deal with social media criticism, with many questioning their integrity, nationalism, and patriotism. This is where a line needs to be drawn.
Cricket: An Easy Target
It is very easy for people to single out cricket and cricketers, as it remains the most popular sport in India. With more money involved, the stakes are also higher. Hence, cricket and cricketers become 'easy targets'.
Such 'boycott calls' don't make front-page headlines when India and Pakistan's hockey teams play against each other. No such expectations are made when Indian and Pakistani athletes square off in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, or Olympics.
It must be noted that these tournaments are not decided by players or individuals, not just in cricket but across all sporting ecosystems. The federations decide. Although an athlete has the right to withdraw on a personal level, considering the competition in Indian cricket, such a call could jeopardize a player's entire career.
No Such Expectations from Neeraj Chopra. Why?
In less than a week's time, India's twin Olympics medal-winner Neeraj Chopra will go head-to-head against Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem in the World Athletics Championships. No one has asked him to withdraw from every javelin tournament because his primary competitor is from Pakistan. What is the reason behind this difference between two top-level sporting events?
Similarly, it has hardly ever been seen that politicians or fans come together and tell India's hockey teams, boxers, wrestlers, shooters, or archers to withdraw and boycott events against Pakistan.
The lack of consistency in the boycott calls takes away their credibility.
These are international tournaments, and every country is bound by contracts, rules, and agreements to fulfill its commitments.
The Indian cricket team makes sure that it doesn't engage in bilateral assignments against Pakistan, as that decision remains exclusively in the BCCI's hands. But, expecting anything more from them might not be right.
India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team