NEW DELHI: The countdown to the Asia Cup 2025 blockbuster between India and Pakistan has taken an explosive turn, with former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi reigniting controversy just days before the Dubai showdown. The high-stakes clash on Sunday marks the first cricketing encounter between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, making it more politically charged than ever.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Even as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court sought cancellation of the fixture, the bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi on Thursday declined to interfere, ensuring the contest will go ahead as scheduled.But Afridi’s remarks on Pakistan television have stirred fresh debate. Revisiting the cancellation of the India Champions vs Pakistan Champions match in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) earlier this year, Afridi lashed out at former Indian players who pulled out. “I have always said that cricket should go on; it has always helped in making the relations better between the two countries. In England, people had bought tickets to see the WCL match, and the players had practised. Then you didn’t play. What was the thinking? I just can’t understand,” Afridi told Samaa TV.
He doubled down on his infamous “bad egg” jibe aimed at Shikhar Dhawan, saying: “If I name any player, then their lives would be made hard. The player I referred to as a bad egg, his captain also told him, ‘If you don’t want to play, then don’t play. Just don’t tweet on social media.’ But that said, the player had come with an ulterior motive. That is why he was a bad egg.”Afridi also alleged that certain ex-players remain desperate to assert their nationality. “There are plenty of issues in India. Some people reach the houses of players and threaten to burn them down. Certain players are still trying to prove they are Indian. They have been displaying this ever since being born. Now they are doing commentary in the Asia Cup,” he said.With emotions already running high and Afridi’s comments fanning the flames, Sunday’s India-Pakistan clash in Dubai promises to be one of the most emotionally charged encounters in Asia Cup.