Former Pakistani fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed has challenged Harbhajan Singh to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. With the tournament set to start in less than seven months and Pakistan slated to host, the BCCI has yet to decide on whether India will participate in the neighboring country.
The hesitation revolves around security concerns and geopolitical tensions between the two nations. Despite the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) firm stance on wanting the Indian team to participate, former Pakistani fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed has accused India of lacking courage, a classic example of a straw man’s fallacy.
It’s important to remember that the Pakistani team traveled to India for both the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup, even amid heightened tensions. In light of recent developments, Tanvir provocatively labeled the Pakistani team as “lions” and challenged India to show similar bravery by coming to Pakistan for the upcoming tournament.
In a recent statement, Tanvir Ahmed called out India’s cricket legend Harbhajan Singh, urging him to convince the Indian team to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to begin in February next year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to make a decision on whether to send the team to Pakistan for the prestigious event. Tanvir’s remarks came in response to Harbhajan Singh’s comments, where he expressed safety concerns and questioned the advisability of traveling to Pakistan.
“We are lions. We have come to your den and played you. If you have the courage, come here and play. We will give you security, we’ll give you everything. Come for once! Only Pakistan players can come and play. They went to India and played. That’s what you call bravery,” said Tanvir as quoted by NDTV Sports.
In 2009, a terrorist attack targeted the Sri Lankan cricket team as they traveled to a stadium in Pakistan. Although the players survived, some sustained injuries. This incident shocked the world and led to Pakistan being labeled a red zone by the ICC, resulting in widespread reluctance from international teams to tour the country.
Recently, citing security concerns, the BCCI refused to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. As a result, a hybrid format was adopted, with all India-centric matches played in Sri Lanka. Now, with Pakistan set to host another tournament, there are renewed doubts about India’s willingness to travel to the neighboring country. The speculations going around say that ICC will have to adopt a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy if Team India doesn’t visit Pakistan for the tournament.
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