“Will Boycott Asia Cup If…” — BCCI Issues Bold Warning to PCB Chief
BCCI may boycott ACC AGM in Dhaka, risking Asia Cup 2025. India-Pakistan tensions threaten to derail the tournament.
A fresh controversy has erupted between the BCCI and PCB, casting a cloud over the future of the 2025 Asia Cup. The tension centres around the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), chaired by Pakistan and scheduled to be held in Dhaka on July 24 and 25.
India has made it clear that it will skip the meeting unless the venue is changed. Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are reportedly backing India’s stand. With three Test-playing nations likely to pull out, the legality of the meeting itself is under question.
According to ACC rules, at least three of the five permanent members, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, need to be present to meet the quorum. That looks unlikely at the moment.
The ACC also requires at least 10 other full or associate members to validate the AGM. But many of these nations, including Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Kuwait, and Indonesia, may also skip the meeting, making the quorum even harder to achieve.
At the heart of the issue is the refusal of PCB and ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi to move the venue from Dhaka. Naqvi, who missed the ICC Annual Conference in Singapore, was recently in Kabul seeking support from the Afghanistan Cricket Board. But as of July 21, ACB officials have assured India they won’t travel to Dhaka either.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which agreed to host the meeting, is now under pressure. A BCB insider admitted that the situation has taken a political turn.
“It now seems the event has turned into a geopolitical matter. Maybe Aminul (Islam) should have handled it more carefully,” he told Cricbuzz.
Despite some board members urging Aminul to cancel the meeting, he reportedly stood firm, saying he couldn’t go back on his word to the PCB.
Asia Cup Under Threat
The impact of this boardroom battle could spill over into the 2025 Asia Cup, which is set to be held in the UAE from September 10 to 28.
The BCCI, as the official host, might pull out if the ACC insists on going ahead with the Dhaka meeting. PCB and Naqvi are unlikely to budge either.
While India’s exit from the tournament is unlikely, a Pakistan boycott could still affect ACC’s commercial interests. This comes after a recent legends match in Birmingham where Indian greats refused to play due to Shahid Afridi’s presence in the Pakistan team.
