The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has withdrawn from all Asia Cup events to isolate Pakistan Cricket in the latest development. Since Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the BCCI has decided against associating itself with ACC following recent prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan.
Per an Indian Express report, the cricket apex body in the country has informed the ACC about its decision to pull its name out from the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka next month and the biennial Men’s Asia Cup later this year.
A BCCI source close to the information revealed the details, saying India cannot be playing in a tournament headed by a Pakistan minister, adding that the board has verbally communicated its decision to the ACC and is in constant touch with the Indian Government over their teams’ participation in such events in the future.
“The Indian team can’t play in a tournament that is organised by the ACC, whose chief is a Pakistani minister. That’s the sentiment of the nation. We have verbally communicated to ACC about our withdrawal from the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and our future participation in their events too is on hold. We are in constant touch with the Indian government,” a BCCI source said, as quoted by the Indian Express.
Will the Asia Cup 2025 take place?
With BCCI’s decision to withdraw its team from the Asia Cup 2025, the question arises whether the tournament will get underway. Considering India was hosting this year’s edition in the T20 format, as decided earlier, their withdrawal would dent the logistics, broadcasters and whatnot.
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The sources also informed the publication that the India-less Asia Cup event doesn’t look like happening, as most sponsors of international cricket events are from India. Besides, an Asia Cup event, or any ICC event, without an India-Pakistan game would be dead for the broadcasters.
Last year, the Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) bagged the Asia Cup rights for a whopping $170m, and should India’s absence lead to this edition getting dissolved, the deal would have to be reworked.
Meanwhile, it all began on April 22, when Pakistan-based terrorists killed 22 innocent lives in broad daylight in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in the deadliest attack on Indian soil since the 2019 Pulwama bombing. In return, India carried out ‘Operation Sindoor’, launching precision air strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the wee hours on May 6. Not only this, but India also suspended the Indus Valley Treaty, downgrading diplomatic ties, recalling the Indian officials from Islamabad and closing the Attari border functioning, among others.
