Champions Trophy 2025: What did Harbhajan Singh say about India visiting Pakistan?

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has voiced strong support for the Indian cricket team avoiding a visit to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to begin in February.

The Indian team has not played in Pakistan since 2008 due to persistent security concerns and is unlikely to make the trip for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Pakistan were hot for the last year’s Asia, but India refused to visit and played their matches in hybrid model.

Reports indicate that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering a hybrid model, which would see Rohit Sharma and his team playing their matches in either Sri Lanka or the UAE.

In an interview with IANS, Harbhajan Singh questioned the rationale behind sending the Indian team to Pakistan given the current safety concerns.

He emphasized that player safety should be the top priority and that it would be unreasonable to risk the team’s well-being by traveling to a region with such security issues.

IANS Exclusive

Delhi: On India going to Pakistan to participate in the Champions Trophy, former cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh says, “Why should the Indian team go to Pakistan? The security issue there is significant. The situation in Pakistan is such that… pic.twitter.com/29qeXMuiEW

— IANS (@ians_india) July 25, 2024

“Why should the Indian team go to Pakistan? There is a safety concern in Pakistan. The situation is such that incidents occur almost daily. It’s not safe for the team to go there. The BCCI’s stance is absolutely correct—nothing is more important than the safety of our players. I fully support the BCCI’s decision,” Harbhajan Singh said.