BCCI denies reports of withdrawal from ACC tournaments

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has dismissed their own media reports claiming that India has decided to withdraw from the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup and Men’s Asia Cup, both scheduled for this year.

According to Indian media, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Monday clarified that no such decision has been made and no formal communication has been sent to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) regarding withdrawal from any event.

"Since this morning, we have seen media reports claiming BCCI has opted out of the Asia Cup and the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup. These claims are baseless. The BCCI has neither discussed nor considered any such move, let alone communicated anything to the ACC," he clarified.

He further stated that the board’s current priority remains the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and the upcoming men’s and women’s series against England.

"Right now, our full focus is on the IPL and preparing for the England tour. There has been no internal discussion regarding ACC events," he added.

These speculations appeared amid tensions between India and Pakistan. Indian media reported this morning that the BCCI had decided to pull out of ACC events.

Some reports even claimed that the BCCI had communicated its unwillingness to participate in tournaments overseen by a Pakistani official—Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, who currently chairs the ACC.

A senior unnamed BCCI official was quoted in Indian media saying, "The Indian team cannot participate in a tournament administered by an ACC president who is a minister in the Pakistani government. That reflects the nation’s sentiment."

It was also reported that the BCCI had verbally informed the ACC of its intent to withdraw from the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup scheduled in Sri Lanka and would reassess future involvement in ACC tournaments after further consultations with the Indian government.

However, BCCI Secretary rejected these claims, emphasising that no formal decision has been taken on India’s participation in any of the upcoming ACC events.

“Any discussions or official decisions regarding ACC tournaments will be made in due course. Until then, speculation in the media should not be considered credible,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2012, with their contests restricted to ICC and ACC events. The last edition of the Asia Cup, held in 2023, was conducted under a hybrid model.