India To Withdraw From Asia Cup Events As Pakistan Minister Heads Asian Cricket Council Amid Heightened Tensions

In the wake of rising tensions following recent hostilities between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided to suspend participation in all upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events.

This includes the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka next month and the Men’s Asia Cup scheduled for September, Indian Express reported.

“The Indian team can’t play in a tournament that is organised by the ACC whose chief is a Pakistan minister. That’s the sentiment of the nation,” a BCCI 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 source added.

The ACC is currently headed by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

This development casts uncertainty over the Men’s Asia Cup, which India was slated to host. The absence of India considered the financial engine of Asian cricket could severely diminish the tournament’s commercial appeal.

Sources noted that an Asia Cup without the money-spinning India-Pakistan contest would not interest the broadcasters.

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) had secured the Asia Cup broadcasting rights for eight years in 2024, for a reported US$170 million. Any disruption could trigger a re-evaluation of the agreement.

The revenue-sharing model currently allocates 15 per cent of broadcasting income to each of the five ACC full members — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan with the remainder shared among associates.

Previously, India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup led to a hybrid model, with India playing its matches in Sri Lanka. A similar arrangement was repeated during the 2024 ICC Champions Trophy.

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