Big blow to PCB as BCCI to pull out from Asia Cup 2025, says report

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly plans to pull out of the next Asia Cup 2025 because of fears over Pakistani participation in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which is led by a Pakistani administrator. This withdrawal impacts both the men’s Asia Cup 2025 and the emerging women’s Asia Cup, scheduled to be held next month in Sri Lanka. The BCCI is said to have informed the ACC of the withdrawal.

“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. 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,” said a BCCI source as quoted by Indian Express.

India’s participation in the 2025 Asia Cup is crucial for its success. The tournament’s reliance on Indian broadcasters and sponsors makes it financially unviable without the Indian cricket team. This withdrawal, following India’s severed ties with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack, was anticipated.

Previous Asia Cups have seen the influence of India-Pakistan tensions. The 2023 edition employed a hybrid model since the BCCI refused to tour Pakistan. Likewise, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy followed a hybrid model because of India’s refusal to tour Pakistan. A follow-up arrangement between the BCCI and PCB requires hybrid formats of all ICC and ACC tournaments to be played in either India or Pakistan. Thus, if the Indian Asia Cup had gone ahead, it would have been a hybrid tournament to meet with this arrangement.

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