• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Black Day Money Isnt Ashoke Pandit Slams Ind Pak Clash As Insult To Soldiers

"Black Day, Money Isn't...": Ashoke Pandit Slams IND-PAK Clash As Insult To Soldiers

Akshita Patel

Ashoke Pandit opposes India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash [Source: @ImTanujSingh, @ANI/X.com]Ashoke Pandit opposes India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash [Source: @ImTanujSingh, @ANI/X.com]

As India and Pakistan gear up for their Asia Cup 2025 clash, the debate over whether the two sides should even be playing each other has reignited. IFTDA president Ashoke Pandit also opposed the game, calling it a black day for India and an insult to fallen soldiers.

The controversy comes after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which had already stirred political and public outrage. 

Opposition parties earlier demanded a boycott, but the government allowed India to participate, citing multi-national tournament rules and complex geopolitical angles.

Ashoke Pandit Brutally Slams Indian Cricketers For Playing Pakistan

Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) president Ashoke Pandit slammed the decision to allow the match. Speaking to ANI, Pandit called September 14, the day of the encounter, a “black day for the country”. 

"A black day for this country. We cannot be this insensitive. Our cricketers should have this much shame; money is not everything. I want to say to all the cricketers that the people you play for have their hands covered with blood, and that blood is of Indians," Pandit said.

He accused the organisers and players of being insensitive towards the sacrifices of Indian soldiers who lost their lives in terror attacks.

Pandit further appealed to broadcasters not to air the game, adding that such matches hurt the sentiments of families who have lost loved ones in decades of attacks on Indian soil.

"Over the past 40 years, the attacks on our nation have been constant. The government can give any reason or tell any rule, but it won't go down our throats. You are taking all this lightly because no one from your own family has been attacked. It is an insult to all those security forces who have lost their lives for this nation... We have appealed to the television channels not to broadcast this match," he added.

Earlier, Pahalgam attack victim’s wife, Aishanya Dwivedi, also called for a boycott, urging fans to switch off their television screens and avoid attending the India-Pakistan game as a mark of protest.

Can Indian Players Withdraw From Asia Cup Clash Vs Pakistan?

Indian players are obligated to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup (and other ACC or ICC tournaments) because of government policy and international cricket rules. 

The BCCI Secretary, Devajit Saikia, stated recently that there is no central government ban on playing teams with strained relations in multinational competitions.

If India were to deny, it might get sanctions or penalties from authorities such as the ACC or ICC. Also, refusing only Pakistan but playing others in the same tournament would be seen as inconsistent or discriminatory. So India participates in tournaments that include Pakistan even though they avoid bilateral series.