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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) denied reports that it plans to withdraw from the Asia Cup and other Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events amid tensions with Pakistan.
Earlier, The Indian Express reported that the BCCI had decided not to send teams to the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup and Men’s Asia Cup to isolate Pakistan cricket.
The report cited a source who said India could not participate in an event led by ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi, also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The source added that India’s absence would hurt the tournament financially, as Indian sponsors play a major role in international cricket events, making the event less viable.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body for cricket, did not comment on the matter.
However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told Indian news agency ANI that these reports are false and the board has not discussed any such move regarding upcoming ACC tournaments.
He clarified that BCCI’s current focus is on the Indian Premier League and the upcoming series against England, not on Asia Cup or any other ACC event decisions.
Saikia stressed that the BCCI had neither written to the ACC nor held any internal talks about withdrawing from the tournaments, calling the news speculative and baseless.
India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket since 2007 due to political tensions and now only face each other in multinational tournaments held on neutral grounds.
In 2023, Pakistan proposed a hybrid model for the Asia Cup after India refused to travel there, reflecting ongoing issues between the two cricket boards over match venues.
Recently, India coach Gautam Gambhir supported a complete boycott of Pakistan at all levels of cricket, including ACC and ICC events, intensifying calls to cut sporting ties.
