KEY POINTS
- India has warned of withdrawing from the Asia Cup 2025
- The BCCI is demanding a venue change for the ACC meeting from Dhaka
ISLAMABAD: India has threatened to boycott the Asia Cup 2025 over what it views as a snub by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi.
The row escalated after Naqvi opted to attend the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Annual General Meeting virtually from Islamabad, instead of joining in person in Singapore.
The ICC AGM, running from July 17 to 20, is a landmark occasion as newly appointed ICC Chairman Jay Shah presides over proceedings for the first time.
With top Asian cricket board representatives gathered in Singapore, India reportedly sees Naqvi’s absence as a breach of protocol, especially given the charged political and sporting context between the two cricketing powerhouses.
Naqvi’s decision to schedule the upcoming ACC meeting in Dhaka has drawn opposition from India, along with Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Oman.
These member boards have signalled they may refuse to recognize any resolutions passed in their absence, further deepening the fault lines.
According to insiders, India has demanded the ACC shift the meeting from Dhaka to a neutral venue.
However, Naqvi is standing firm, unwilling to alter the planned location. Despite India previously dismissing Asia Cup boycott rumours, this time the threat seems more serious, with the tournament’s very future hanging in the balance.
The Asia Cup, slated for September in T20 format with India as tentative hosts, now faces significant uncertainty.
Though the ACC has extended an olive branch by offering virtual attendance for its meeting, this gesture has done little to ease rising tensions.
If unresolved, the deadlock could lead to a fractured tournament or even its cancellation, casting a long shadow over one of the region’s most celebrated cricketing events.
