Asia Cup: 'The value of a human life should be more than sports'- Ex India cricketer questions India-Pakistan clash

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has expressed concerns about the upcoming India-Pakistan cricket match at the Asia Cup 2025, questioning its appropriateness in light of the recent Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor. The match scheduling has sparked debate, particularly after Indian legends recently boycotted their games against Pakistan in the World Championships of Legends due to bilateral tensions.

India is set to begin their Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by the highly anticipated match against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. Their final group stage match will be against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.



Operation Sindoor, launched in May by the Indian Armed Forces, targeted Pakistan-backed terror groups following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The operation resulted in over 100 casualties among terrorists affiliated with groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

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"I am a little surprised that this match is going to happen... After the Pahalgam attack, in which so many innocent civilians were killed, and then the war that followed, a lot of talk was going on that this time we will give a befitting reply. Despite this, after a few months, everything has been forgotten... I find it hard to believe that this match is happening, that the value of a human life can be zero. What do they want to achieve by playing with Pakistan?... The value of a human life should be more than sports... There is no question of me watching the match at all..." Tiwary told ANI.

The Indian team for the Asia Cup 2025 was announced on Tuesday, with Suryakumar named as captain and Shubman Gill as vice-captain. The announcement came during a press conference attended by T20I skipper Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, following a selection meeting that included BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.


Notable exclusions from the main squad include Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, despite their impressive performances in the IPL this year for Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings respectively. Jaiswal has been placed in the reserves alongside Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna, and Dhruv Jurel.

"Two deserving candidates, Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, have not been able to make it to the team... If you see old videos of Gautam Gambhir, he had said that Yashasvi Jaiswal is such a player that we cannot think of keeping him out of T-20. Now that he himself is the coach, there is no place for Shreyas Iyer in the team. Shreyas Iyer's performance is the best if you look at the last year... It's eye-opening that he didn't get a place in the T20... The selection process should be made live so that sports lovers know who has been selected and why..." Tiwary commented on the team selection.
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