Harbhajan Singh Defends Mohammed Shami Amid Roza Controversy: 'If You Don't Keep Yourself Hydrated...'
Harbhajan Singh defended Mohammed Shami's choice not to fast during the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final, amid criticism from some Muslim clerics.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has defended Mohammed Shami‘s decision to not fast during the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia on Tuesday, amid criticism from a section of the Muslim cleric community labeling him as a ‘criminal and sinner’.
In the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world abstain from food and drinks from before the first light of dawn until the setting of the sun. Shami faced criticism after being captured taking sports drinks in the afternoon of the match. However, as the videos of clerics’ quotes went viral, another section of the Muslim community came to his defense on social media, stressing that fasting was a personal choice.
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Harbhajan, who faced such criticisms during his time as an India cricketer too, requested religion to be kept separate from sports.
“I think I just want to say that this is my personal view-I might be wrong or right," Harbhajan said in an interview with India Today. “Sports should be treated separately. People who feel religion is playing this role or that role, I think it’s fine to kind of do your routine-what you do in your religion. But people expecting Shami to do this or Rohit Sharma to do this or any XYZ to do this or that during a certain period (is not fair)," he added.
“You might be doing it because you are sitting at home or doing your own routine work. But when you are playing as a sportsman, if you don’t keep yourself hydrated, you might collapse," Harbhajan added. “And of course, with the kind of heat they are playing in, I think they need to drink water. They can’t go through the game without having a drink or a snack. It’s your body, after all-you need fuel. People who are commenting about it, all I can say is it’s their personal thing. Shami or others, I don’t think they will be worried or bothered about it."
Shami was India’s highest wicket-taker with three scalps in the semi-final. He’s also the team’s highest wicket-taker in the tournament. India will now play New Zealand in the final on Sunday.
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