BCCI pulls out of Asia Cup amid political tensions, leaves Pakistan cricket isolated

In a major geopolitical ripple hitting the cricketing world, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially withdrawn from all Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments, citing discomfort over the current leadership of the council. The ACC is presently chaired by Mohsin Naqvi — who doubles as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman — prompting the BCCI to declare India’s non-participation in events overseen by a Pakistani government official.

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According to a report, the BCCI has informed the ACC that Team India will not compete in the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, scheduled next month in Sri Lanka, nor the much-anticipated Men’s Asia Cup slated for September — a tournament India was supposed to host. “The Indian team cannot participate in a tournament overseen by a Pakistan minister. That’s the sentiment of the nation,” a senior BCCI official told the daily, adding that the decision was made after consultations with the Indian government.

This unexpected move not only casts a shadow over the Asia Cup’s viability but also signals a sharp escalation in India-Pakistan cricketing tensions. The absence of India — the continent’s most commercially lucrative cricketing nation — could render the tournament practically irrelevant, especially in the absence of a high-stakes India vs Pakistan clash. In 2024, Sony Pictures Networks India had bagged the ACC media rights for eight years in a $170 million deal. With India pulling the plug, the deal could be up for renegotiation, or worse, collapse entirely if the tournament fails to materialise.

This is not the first time the Asia Cup has been a political football. In 2023, India refused to travel to Pakistan, leading to a hybrid hosting model where Sri Lanka staged India’s matches. A similar format was used during the 2024 Champions Trophy, with Dubai stepping in to host India’s games while Pakistan remained the official host. As of now, the BCCI remains firm in its stance and has put future participation in ACC events on hold. With political tensions spilling into the pitch, the future of multi-nation tournaments in Asia may hang in the balance — unless the ACC finds neutral leadership or reworks its structure.