BCCI's sweeping step after Pahalgam attack, writes to ICC over Pakistan matches; Asia Cup decision put on hold: Report

In the wake of the deadly terror attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam, where 26 civilians lost their lives on Tuesday, there have been rumours that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took a sweeping step by writing a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), urging them to no longer club India and Pakistan together in the same group for ICC tournaments. BCCI does not want India, Pakistan to be clubbed together in ICC tournaments

According to a report in Cricbuzz, BCCI no longer wishes for an India-Pakistan face-off, at least in the group stages of an ICC event. However, the next big ICC tournament is in September, with India hosting the Women's ODI World Cup. Pakistan qualified for the eight-team tournament, where each team will play against all other participants in a round-robin format. As per the pre-decided arrangement, Pakistan will not be playing any of their matches in India, with the host nation yet to zero in on the neutral venue.

Earlier, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed that the board would follow whatever the Indian government decided, but the report also added that a top BCCI official told the website that such a development was news to him.

What about the Asia Cup?

Regarding men's cricket, the next ICC tournament is in 2026, with the T20 World Cup being hosted in India and Sri Lanka between February and March. However, the immediate concern for the BCCI is the Asia Cup, which will be held in September with India as the host. Although Cricbuzz had earlier reported that the tournament would be entirely played at a neutral venue, with Dubai and Sri Lanka as likely venues,

The fresh report on the website, however, highlighted: "The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has sold the media rights for the Asia Cup - valued at $170 million for four editions - based on an unofficial understanding that each edition will feature at least two India-Pakistan matches, with the possibility of a third if the teams meet in the final. The media rights deal is middle-heavy than front-or back-loaded, which means the 2025 edition would cost around $ 38 million, instead of the average value of $ 42.5 million."

In the previous edition of the continental tournament, held in 2023, India and Pakistan faced each other twice—once in the group stage and once in the Super Four. The second match was washed out as Pakistan failed to make the final. India won the tournament, beating Sri Lanka in the final.

The report concluded that while the Asia Cup draw was expected to be out in May, the Asian Cricket Council might take time to ponder its options, both for the draw and the venue. "The general impression is that any final decision will hinge on the escalation or de-escalation of prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan," it added.

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