The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has denied media reports claiming it plans to withdraw from all Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events due to rising tensions with Pakistan, according to Indian news outlets.
Earlier, The Indian Express reported that the BCCI had allegedly informed the ACC of its intent to opt out of the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka next month, as well as the Men’s Asia Cup in September. The report, citing unnamed sources, claimed the move aimed to “isolate Pakistan cricket.”
According to the source, “The Indian team can’t participate in a tournament run by the ACC, which is headed by a Pakistani minister.” This was a reference to Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who recently took over as ACC President and also serves as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The source added that the BCCI understood that staging an Asia Cup without India would be difficult, given the significant presence of Indian sponsors in international cricket.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body, has not commented on the matter.
However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia later dismissed the report, telling Indian news agency ANI: “There is no truth to such claims. As of now, BCCI has not discussed or taken any steps concerning upcoming ACC events, let alone communicated anything formally to the ACC.”
Saikia emphasized that the BCCI’s current focus is on the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and the upcoming series against England for both the men’s and women’s teams.
He added, “The Asia Cup or any other ACC-related issue has not been raised or deliberated upon at any level. Any such reports are purely speculative and baseless. If and when the BCCI engages in any discussions or decisions regarding ACC events, an official statement will be made.”
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2007, due to ongoing political tensions. Their encounters are now limited to international tournaments held at neutral venues.
These tensions have affected tournament arrangements before. In 2023, the Asia Cup adopted a hybrid hosting model after the BCCI declined to send the Indian team to Pakistan. Similarly, during the ICC Champions Trophy, India played its matches in Dubai after the Indian government refused to permit travel to Pakistan, the tournament’s designated host.
Earlier this month, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir called for a complete cessation of cricketing ties with Pakistan, including participation in the Asia Cup and ICC events.
