The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly informed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of its decision to withdraw from the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, as bilateral and regional cricketing ties with Pakistan continue to deteriorate.
According to Indian media reports, the decision comes in the wake of renewed hostilities between India and Pakistan along the border, which have cast a shadow over any prospects of sporting collaboration between the two arch-rivals. The political climate, coupled with the ACC currently being chaired by Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, has reportedly prompted the Indian board to disengage from ACC-led tournaments.
A senior BCCI official confirmed that India has already communicated its decision to the ACC. “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,” the source said.
“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.”
The Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to be hosted in India. However, in the absence of a marquee India-Pakistan clash, the tournament’s commercial viability has been called into question.
The clash between the two rivals is often considered the main financial draw of the tournament, attracting millions of viewers across the region and securing high-profile sponsorship deals.
This development follows BCCI’s recent decision to opt out of the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka next month. While India and Pakistan have avoided bilateral cricketing engagements since 2012, they have continued to meet sporadically in multi-nation tournaments. However, the current escalation appears to have cast doubts even over such encounters.
In 2023, the Asia Cup was held under a hybrid model with matches split between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, allowing India to avoid traveling to Pakistan. India eventually won the tournament, beating Sri Lanka in the final, while Pakistan failed to qualify for the title match.
The latest decision appears to be part of a broader strategy by India to isolate Pakistan from regional cricketing forums. Mohsin Naqvi, who took over the ACC chairmanship after BCCI secretary Jay Shah vacated the position following his appointment as ICC Chairman, now faces the challenge of navigating the ACC through this crisis.
