BCCI Planned to Leave Asia Cup Amid Growing India-Pakistan Tensions
Sources have informed The Indian Express that the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to withdraw from next Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events is a part of a larger action to isolate Pakistan cricket.
The BCCI has advised the ACC of its decision to withdraw from both the Men’s Asia Cup, scheduled for September, and the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, set to be hosted in Sri Lanka next month, in view of the latest rise in tensions between India and Pakistan.
Currently chairing the ACC is Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the Interior Minister of Pakistan.
A BCCI official claims that the ruling captures national mood. “The Indian team cannot take part in an event supervised by a minister of Pakistan. That captures the mood of the country. We have told the ACC orally that we are leaving the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and we are also under review our involvement in next ACC tournaments. The source stated we still closely interact with the Indian administration.
BCCI Aware of Asia Cup Stakes, India-Pakistan Standoff Puts Tournament in Jeopardy
Given most international cricket sponsors are Indian, sources claim the BCCI is completely aware that an Asia Cup without India would be unsustainable. More crucially, the event loses great commercial attractiveness for broadcasters without the showpiece India-Pakistan matchup.
For eight years, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) obtained the Asia Cup broadcasting rights for US$170 million. Should India’s exit cause disturbance or cancellation of the present edition, the agreement would have to be reviewed and maybe rebuilt.
Under the revenue-sharing scheme of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the five full members—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan—each get 15% of broadcast income; the remaining amount is split among associate and affiliate countries.
Political unrest has not only affected the tournament but also past events. Hosted by Pakistan, India turned down crossing the border in the 2023 Asia Cup. The BCCI worked out a hybrid arrangement whereby India could schedule its matches in Sri Lanka. India defeated Sri Lanka in the last in Colombo, so concluding the tournament; Pakistan failed to qualify for the final, so producing a disappointing result for the hosts.
The 2024 ICC Champions Trophy, also hosted in Pakistan, presented a like situation. India played its games in Dubai and once more chose a blended approach. India finally prevailed in the event, and Pakistan missed final staging even though it was the host.
Although the International Cricket Council (ICC) is the worldwide regulatory body of the game, the ACC was founded in 1983 to promote cricket growth in Asia and unite the regional bloc in world cricket. Previously running ACC, Jay Shah was chosen ICC chairman last year.
