Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 12: The upcoming Asia Cup 2025 has been thrown into fresh uncertainty after India and Sri Lanka reportedly declined to attend the crucial Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting slated to be held in Dhaka on July 24, citing ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh.
India, who are officially designated to host the Asia Cup starting September 5, have already postponed a bilateral tour to Bangladesh from August this year to September next year. Though the BCCI attributed the rescheduling to international commitments, insiders suggest the real reason lies in the diplomatic tension brewing between New Delhi and Dhaka.
A senior Pakistani official associated with the ACC confirmed that the meeting in Dhaka will go ahead as planned. He added that while arrangements have been made for virtual participation, the in-person gathering will not be postponed. The ACC meeting coincides with a T20I tri-series involving Pakistan and Bangladesh, which is also scheduled in Dhaka from July 20 to 24.
In light of the growing tensions, India is expected to ask the ACC to shift the tournament to a neutral venue, especially in view of an earlier agreement where Pakistan had consented to relocate India's matches to Dubai during the Champions Trophy preparations, on the condition that Pakistan would not travel to India for any multi-nation events until 2027.
The ACC has reportedly written to the BCCI asking for clarity on whether India still intends to host the tournament. As of now, the Indian board is yet to respond.
The Asia Cup has a long history of being overshadowed by political discord. In 1986, India boycotted the event due to strained relations with Sri Lanka. In 1990, Pakistan did not take part in the edition hosted by India. In 2023, the tournament followed a hybrid model, with India playing all its matches in Sri Lanka and the rest in Pakistan, a compromise that underscored the complexities surrounding the tournament’s hosting rights.
With the clock ticking and uncertainty deepening, the fate of the Asia Cup 2025 hangs delicately in the balance, as cricket once again finds itself entangled in geopolitics.