'Terrorism must be condemned, but the game should not be stopped' — Sourav Ganguly on the India-Pakistan match

The India-Pakistan rivalry means the highest level of tension in the subcontinent. However, due to political tensions and border conflicts, the matches of these two arch-rivals often become controversial. Nevertheless, former Indian captain and legendary cricketer Sourav Ganguly believes that the competition on the field of play should not be stopped.
Recently, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has released the full schedule of the Asia Cup 2025. It was informed that India and Pakistan will face each other on September 14, the venue is the United Arab Emirates.
In this context, Ganguly said in an interview to Indian media outlet ANI:
"I have no problem with the schedule. Sports have to continue. What happened in Pahalgam is sad and condemnable. But sports should not be stopped because of these incidents. Terrorism needs to end. That is in the past now. Sports have to continue."
Ganguly's statement came at a time when several media and political circles in India have demanded a boycott of matches with Pakistan. However, the ACC and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) have already finally settled the matter.
In an ACC meeting held in Dhaka, the BCCI agreed to the decision to continue the tournament as per the pre-determined schedule. As a result, India has lost the opportunity to boycott any match or the entire tournament.
A BCCI insider said: "Now India will not be able to withdraw from this match or tournament. The decision was finalized in the ACC meeting. Since India is the host, there is no scope for any change now. Everything has been officially decided."
Eight teams are participating in this year's Asia Cup. The tournament will begin on September 9 with a match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The entire tournament will be in the T20 format, which is being considered as part of the preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

According to Pakistan's schedule:
September 12: Pakistan vs Oman
September 14: India vs Pakistan
September 17: Pakistan vs UAE
In this context, Ganguly's position is quite clear - no matter how much terrorism and politics there are, the bond of sports and competition should continue.