India set to boycott ACC tournaments amid Indo-Pak tensions

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided to pull out of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events, including the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka next month and the Men’s Asia Cup scheduled in September.

This is because of the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, and the fact that Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is heading the ACC.

BCCI set to boycott ACC events

The BCCI is going to take a strong stand by not joining any ACC tournaments according to a report by The Indian Express. “We can’t play in events run by the ACC when its boss is a Pakistan minister. That’s how people in India feel,” a BCCI source said. The report further states that the board has already told the ACC it’s pulling out of the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup and is unsure about future ACC events. They’re talking to the Indian government to figure out the next steps.

This decision raises doubts about the Men’s Asia Cup, which India was supposed to host in September. The tournament includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.

Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Champions Trophy 2024

In 2023, Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup but India refused to travel to the country. The BCCI made sure India’s matches were played in Sri Lanka. Pakistan didn’t reach the final, and India won against Sri Lanka. During the 2024 ICC Champions Trophy, India played in Dubai instead of Pakistan and won the title.

This diplomatic fallout coincides with heightened tensions between the two nations following Operation Sindoor - a recent military operation launched by India in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed 26 civilian lives.

-With Agencies inputs