Sourav Ganguly Reveals Why He Switched Off India-Pakistan Asia Cup Clash, Claims Match Lacked Competitive Edge

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly had little patience for Sunday’s Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai, admitting that the one-sided nature of the contest made him switch channels to football’s Manchester derby.“I am actually not surprised by what I saw. I actually stopped watching after the first 15 overs and started watching Manchester United and Man City (in English Premier League),” Ganguly quipped on Monday.India cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan, extending a decade-long dominance.But the post-match buzz was dominated by controversy after Indian players collectively refused to shake hands with their opponents as a mark of solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan later lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, terming the act “unsporting.”Ganguly side-stepped the handshake debate but made his position clear on the bigger picture.“Terror must stop, that's most important, all around the world, not just India and Pakistan. You've seen so many things happening, so that also must stop. But sports also cannot stop. Terror has to stop all around the world,” he said.Asked about the players’ actions, he deferred responsibility.“You will have to ask Suryakumar Yadav, he has to answer. I'm too far, launching my ethnic brand. He's also answered it... Everyone has their own side of the story, that's what it is,” Ganguly remarked.On the cricketing side, the former BCCI president was blunt about Pakistan’s decline.“Pakistan are no match. I say that with respect, it's just because I've seen their team was. It's the lack of quality in the side,” he said.For Ganguly, the India–Pakistan hype no longer matches reality.“There is no competition… I would rather watch India play Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka or even Afghanistan. I don’t think India and Pakistan are a contest anymore. We keep hyping it and for the last five years every hype has been shattered. It’s been one-way traffic,” he concluded.