‘I won’t be surprised at all if….’: Sunil Gavaskar bold statement against Pakistan for Asia Cup 2025

New Delhi: Amidst heightened India-Pakistan tensions following a recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar predicts the potential dissolution of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). This follows reports suggesting the Asia Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, may be cancelled due to the escalating conflict. While official dates and venues remain unannounced, the geopolitical situation casts doubt on the tournament’s future.

Gavaskar also expressed his belief that even if the Asia Cup goes ahead this year, Pakistan’s participation in the tournament appears highly unlikely.

Gavaskar told Sports Today that the BCCI has consistently followed the directives of the Indian government, and he doesn’t expect that to change regarding the Asia Cup. “India and Sri Lanka are the hosts for this edition of the Asia Cup, so it really depends on whether the situation has changed. But if it hasn’t, I don’t see Pakistan participating in the tournament, especially with it being hosted by India and Sri Lanka,” he said.

Gavaskar also suggested that if the current situation remains unresolved, there is a possibility that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) could be dissolved altogether.

Gavaskar further speculated that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) could potentially be disbanded if the situation doesn’t improve in the coming months. “I don’t know how it will be. It might be that the ACC could well be disbanded, and instead, we might see a three-nation or four-nation tournament, possibly with teams like Hong Kong or the UAE being invited. But I think it all depends on what unfolds in the next couple of months,” he added.

Gavaskar also pointed out that if India decides to withdraw from the Asia Cup, the BCCI might consider hosting a separate multi-nation tournament in India, inviting other Asian teams to participate in place of the continental event.

Gavaskar added that there is a possibility of India pulling out of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) altogether. “It could well happen that India decides to pull out of the Asian Cricket Council. We could have a four or five-nation tournament featuring teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. Even if the tournament is officially hosted by Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, India would effectively be the main host and the matches could be played in India,” he explained.

Gavaskar remarked that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) gets disbanded given the current geopolitical tensions. “I won’t be surprised at all if the Asian Cricket Council gets disbanded with what’s been happening. I mean, if you’ve got two countries fighting against each other, then it’s a little bit difficult to play sport with each other,” he explained.

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