Asia Cup Crisis: India’s Reluctance to Tour Pakistan Sparks Regional Backlash

Dubai | June 30, 2025 — The 2025 Asia Cup has once again been plunged into controversy due to India’s continued refusal to play matches on Pakistani soil, a move that is being widely criticized by cricketing nations and analysts as politicizing the sport and undermining regional unity.

🇮🇳 India Blamed for Undermining Asian Cricket Unity

Despite being a full member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), India has unilaterally decided not to travel to Pakistan for the continental tournament, citing “security concerns”—a claim many view as politically motivated rather than grounded in reality.

In contrast, teams from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and even Australia have played in Pakistan recently without any major incident.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated:

“This is not about safety. This is about political posturing. If teams like England, Australia, and New Zealand can play in Pakistan, why can’t India?”

🏟️ India Forcing Tournaments Out of Pakistan

Due to India’s refusal, the ACC is now being forced to relocate key matches—possibly the entire Asia Cup—to Dubai or Sri Lanka, undermining Pakistan’s hosting rights and depriving local fans of international cricket.

This is not the first time:

• In 2023, India’s refusal led to a hybrid format, with Pakistan only hosting non-India matches.
• In 2018, the Asia Cup was entirely shifted to the UAE, again due to Indian objections.

Cricket fans across Asia and Pakistan have criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for using its financial power to manipulate tournament structures, often at the expense of fair competition and host nation rights.

🗣️ Critics Accuse India of “Cricket Apartheid”

Former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi stated:

“India’s refusal to play in Pakistan is not just unsportsmanlike—it’s a form of cricket apartheid. Politics should stay out of the boundary lines.”

Sports analysts and journalists from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have also criticized India’s behavior, calling it “hegemonic” and “disrespectful to the spirit of Asian cricket cooperation.”

🌐 ICC and ACC Under Pressure

India’s hardline stance has put both the ICC and ACC in a difficult position. They risk alienating other member countries if they continue allowing India to dictate terms. Calls are growing louder for the ICC to penalize teams that refuse to tour safe host nations without credible evidence.

Meanwhile, Pakistani officials have warned that if India continues this attitude, Pakistan may demand neutral venues for the 2026 World T20 in India.

🔍 The Bigger Picture: Sport or Supremacy?

India’s actions are increasingly viewed as part of a larger strategy to control cricket geopolitics, using its economic clout to bypass mutual respect and fairness. Such behavior risks turning global cricket into a commercial and political battlefield, rather than a celebration of sport.

As cricket lovers around the world call for a united Asia Cup in Pakistan, many now believe it is India—not security—that is the biggest obstacle to regional cricket harmony.

📰 By: Sports Diplomacy Desk | Digital World Sports News
Sources: ACC, PCB Press Conference, ESPNcricinfo, Reuters, Al Jazeera, NDTV Sports, Cricbuzz