'Murdering Indians Seems To Be Their National Sport': Former Wicketkeeper Urges BCCI To Cut Cricketing Ties With Pakistan
Last Updated:
Shreevats Goswami has condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack and urged the BCCI to stop playing cricket with Pakistan.
Former cricketer Shreevats Goswami has urged the BCCI to cut all cricketing ties with Pakistan following the horrific Pahalgam terror attack, that left at least 26 killed and several others injured.
The terror attack took place in the Baisaran Valley, a scenic meadow situated in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination about 30 miles southeast of Srinagar on Tuesday, sending shockwaves throughout the country. Pakistan-based terror outfit, The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the assault, marking one of the worst attacks in the region in recent years.
Various sportspersons have strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attack and praying for peace and normalcy in the valley. Former wicketkeeper-batter Goswami has also condemned the incident and urged the BCCI to stop playing cricket with Pakistan in a long social media post.
'And this is exactly why I say – you don't play cricket with Pakistan. Not now. Not ever. When BCCI or the government refused to send India to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, some had the audacity to say, 'Oh, but sport should rise above politics'," Goswami wrote on X.
'From where I stand, murdering innocent Indians seems to be their national sport. And if that's how they play – then it's time we respond in a language they truly understand. Not with bats and balls. But with resolve. With dignity. With zero tolerance," the post read.
'I'm furious. I'm devastated. Just a few months ago, I was in Kashmir for the Legends League – I walked through Pahalgam, met the locals, saw hope returning to their eyes. It felt like peace had finally found its way back. And now … this bloodshed again. It breaks something inside you. It makes you question how many more times we're expected to stay silent, stay 'sporting," while our people die. No more. Not this time," it added.
India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket since 2012–13 and only meet in ICC events. Recently, the BCCI refused to send its team for the Champions Trophy, which was hosted by Pakistan. India played all their matches in Dubai, including the summit clash against New Zealand.
In another post, Goswami urged all the Indian players, playing in the ongoing IPL 2025, to wear black armbands for this entire week 'in memory of the innocent lives lost" in the deadly attack.
'Requesting all Indian players in the IPL to wear a black armband this week atleast. In memory of the innocent lives lost in Kashmir. Play the game. But let the world watching know. Cricket reaches millions across borders — this small gesture can spread awareness and show solidarity. It's the least we can do," Goswami wrote in another 'X' post.
However, players and umpires will be wearing black armbands during the IPL 2025 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians as a mark of paying homage to victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Sources have told IANS that apart from the black armbands, a one-minute silence will also be observed before the game begins at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
22 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru's Sanjay Krishnamurthi, a Computer Science student, smashes New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra for 4 sixes in a row
When all eyes were on Finn Allen, who was hitting the ball to different parts of the ground during a Major League Cricket (MCL) between the San Francisco Unicorns and the Washington Freedom, a 22-year-old young man from Bengaluru created ripples with his battling exploits. Sanjay Krishnamurthi, an Indian origin cricketer who plays for the USA, shot into the limelight by smashing New Zealand international Rachin Ravindra for four consecutive sixes in one over at the Oakland Coliseum on Friday. Coming into bat at the fall of Jake Fraser-McGurk's wicket in the last over of the powerplay, Krishnamurthi took his time to get his eye in by nudging singles but once he saw the left-arm spin of Ravindra, he sprang into action. In the 8th over, bowled by Ravindra, Krishnamurthi blasted him for four consecutive sixes. It was not a surprise that all four of Krishnamurthi's sixes came in the long-on and deep mid-wicket region. He is extremely strong off his pads and Ravindra kept feeding to his strengths. The pitch offered little assistance to the bowlers, which helped Krishnamurthi to line up the Washington bowler and launch into an assault. Krishnamurthi scored 36 runs off 20 balls and stitched a blazing partnership of 88 runs with Finn Allen off just 37 balls. Allen ended up smashing multiple T20 records on his way to 151 off 51 balls with 19 sixes to help San Francisco post 269/5 in their 20 overs, which proved way too many for the Washington Freedom. Despite getting off to a fiery start, they collapsed to 146 all out in 13.1 overs. San Francisco won the match by a whopping 123 runs. While Allen, who broke the record for most sixes in T20 cricket, was undoubtedly the star of the show, Krishnamurthi did leave his mark on the game. Born in Arizona, US, Krishnamurthi shifted to Karnataka with hopes of representing India at the highest level, reported The Times of India. He represented the Karnataka U116 team but soon realised that playing for India had many roadblocks. The two most prominent ones were his Overseas Citizen of India card, which prevents him from representing India at the international level, and the supreme pool of talent that India has in cricket; the competition is insane. "Yeah, from the moment I started playing cricket in India, the goal was to play for India. But I think I was also realistic. That it could happen. But I can't bank on anything happening. Because there are so many other players. And if it doesn't happen, what is my life going to look like? And yet, to make it happen, you have to throw everything at it, you can't go in half-heartedly," said the 22-year-old who has represented the USA in 14 ODIs and nine T20Is. With the dream of playing for India practically closed after he decided not to give up on his US citizenship, Krishanmurthi's professional cricket career took a different turn in 2019 when he appeared for the MLC trials. Since then Krishanmurthi has been juggling as a Computer Student at San Jose University in San Francisco and playing cricket for the USA. He got leeway from the University professors after he laid out a few impressive performances for USA in ODI cricket. Last year, he earned an MLC contract with the San Francisco Unicorns. "Last season was my first time actually playing, and it was an incredible experience, especially to be alongside players such as Cummins, who is the Australian captain and one of the best players in the world right now. It was an opportunity for me to test myself against these guys, and until that point, I didn't know quite where I stood at the highest level. But after last season, it gave me a lot of confidence," he said.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
H-1B visa registrations drop 27% due to fee hike and policy changes
The number of H-1B visa cap registrations for FY 2026 has declined significantly, according to new data released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ). Only 3.58 lakh registrations were submitted this year, marking a 26.9% fall from the 4.78 lakh entries received in 2025. Compared to FY 2024, this marks a sharp drop of over 54%. Out of the total registrations this season, 120,141 have been selected for the next stage. The H-1B programme allows 85,000 work visas each year, including 20,000 reserved for applicants with US master's degrees. The programme remains vital for Indian IT professionals and US tech employers. The USCIS attributed the lower registration numbers to recent policy enforcement, changes in the registration process, and increased costs. The agency has taken action against fraud, particularly targeting duplicate entries. 'Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, we undertook extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continue to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution,' USCIS said in an official statement. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The statement added: 'We are also reviewing the FY 2025 and FY 2026 data for any attempts to gain an unfair advantage through the beneficiary-centric selection process.' The agency said it will continue strict enforcement, including petition denials, revocations, and criminal referrals. Live Events MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ US tech company penalised by Department of Justice for favouring H‑1B visa workers over American candidates US: Social media post alleges Indians face frozen bank accounts before deportation; no official confirmation yet What's changing for international students in the US right now? « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT The most notable policy change this year was the increase in the registration fee, from $10 to $250. This cost shift has deterred some potential applicants, particularly international students and early-career professionals. The changing mood around H-1B is also leading some to explore options outside the US. Countries like Australia, Germany, and the UAE are gaining attention. These developments may alter the flow of Indian students to the US. 'The ' American Dream ' of immediate employment at a high salary with full sponsorship of an H-1B visa will elude most foreign students.
India.com
29 minutes ago
- India.com
Bad news for Pakistan, China as India decides to boost IAF firepower with 97 more Tejas MK-1A fighters, deal is worth Rs....
Bad news for Pakistan, China as India decides to boost IAF firepower with 97 more Tejas MK-1A fighters, deal is worth Rs.... Operation Sindoor has proved the prowess of the India Defence Force in front of the world. Now, India is planning to strengthen the IAF even more, advancing the country's self-reliance in defence manufacturing. For this, the Indian Government has approved Rs 67,000 crore deal for the procurement of 97 additional Tejas MK-1A fighter jets in the financial year 2026-27. This contract which is likely to be finalised by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), will strengthen the role of indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fighter jet as the backbone of the IAF. As per a report published by Moneycontrol, the deal which is following the 48,000 crore contract which was signed back in February 2021 for 83 Tejas MK-1A jets, will induct a total of 180 fighter jets in the IAF fleet. This will significantly enhance IAF's combat capabilities. It is worth noting that the Tejas MK-1A is manufactured by HAL and is being designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA, is a modern multirole fighter aircraft which is loaded with modern technology, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, and beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile capabilities. These features of the Tejas makes a perfect replacement of ageing MiG-21, Jaguars.
