'Don't play India-Pakistan match, If...,' Owaisi ahead of India-Pakistan cricket match in Melbourne

• Image Credit: Google

• Oct 22, 2022 | Dhupali Das

Owaisi was referring to BCCI secretary Jay Shah's announcement that the Indian team...

Digital Desk: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said on Friday that India should not play a cricket match with Pakistan in Australia as it has decided not to send the team to play in Pakistan. The Hyderabad MP's statement came just days before the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match in Melbourne, Australia.

Addressing a party event, Owaisi said, "Why are you now playing the cricket match with Pakistan tomorrow? Nahi khel na tha. No, we won't go to Pakistan, but we will play with them in Australia. What will happen if you don't play with Pakistan? A loss of Rs 2,000 crore? But is it more than what India matters? Leave, don't play."

Owaisi was referring to BCCI secretary Jay Shah's announcement that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan to compete in the Asia Cup, which stirred controversy from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Following that, the PCB threatened not to participate in the World Cup in India.

Asaduddin Owaisi stated that he wants India to win the game on October 23 and that Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj should do their best to "destroy Pakistan," but he also opposed the trolling of Muslim players if India loses a game of cricket.

"These people will thump their chest if India wins and if India loses, they will start finding whose fault it was. What's your problem? This is cricket. You have a problem with our hijab, with our beard and also with our cricket," he said.

On October 23, India and Pakistan will play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Having lost 2 of their last 3 meetings, including the T20 World Cup match in 2021 by 10 wickets, the pressure is on captain Rohit Sharma and his men to deliver. A victorious start will greatly improve India's prospects of reaching the semi-finals, as they are no easy groups in the the Super 12 stage.