Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin said India should bar themselves from playing Pakistan in multilateral events if playing a bilateral series between the two sides is not feasible. Azhar weighed in on the Asia Cup, where India could play Pakistan as many as three times. India and Pakistan will face off in the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE on September 14. However, the former cricketer from Hyderabad questioned the inconsistency in cricketing ties between the two strained neighbours.

“I always say that everything should happen, or if it does not happen, then it should not happen at all. If you're not playing bilateral matches, then you shouldn't play international events too — that's what I believe,” Azharuddin said on the contentious ties between the two sides.

India have not played any bilateral series against Pakistan since December 2012, when the latter toured India to play a limited-overs series. Although the two sides have engaged in multilateral ICC and ACC events, that has become fraught due to the recent military standoff between the two countries following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians. India most recently played Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai and defeated them by six wickets.

Recently, the India Champions – a team consisting of former India players – refused to play the Pakistan Champions, led by former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) due to the terrorist attack. In the aftermath of India Champions’ refusal to play Pakistan Champions, the latter refused to share points. The organisers of the WCL stated that India Champions were not at fault since they had informed them about their decision in May itself.

Commenting on the issue, Azhar said, “This is a matter for the board and the government,” he said. “The veterans' league is not official; it's not sanctioned by the ICC or the BCCI. It’s conducted privately. But the Asia Cup is a tournament governed by the ACC,” he clarified, distancing the WCL from international cricket.