BCCI Unhappy with ACC's Dhaka Meeting; Considers Boycott

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed its disappointment with the Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) decision to plan a meeting in Dhaka in the last week of July. This meeting is to decide the future of the Asia Cup. But the BCCI has raised concerns about the location of the meeting.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is the current president of the ACC. The BCCI believes it is not the right time to hold the meeting in Dhaka due to the security situation in Bangladesh. Moreover, the relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated recently.

Will BCCI Boycott ACC Meeting in Dhaka?

The BCCI believed that the ACC should have chosen a more neutral location. A source also revealed that the BCCI is unhappy with how the ACC is handling the situation. The official spoke to The Times of India and said, “Everyone knows the geopolitical situation in the region. It is not right to organise such an important meeting there.”

The BCCI has asked its office bearers not to travel to Dhaka. If the Asia Cup does not happen, the BCCI may organise a new tournament. They are thinking of hosting a multi-national series with other top teams. Boards from Sri Lanka and England have already shown interest in playing against India during this time. “We are not short of options. If the Asia Cup gets cancelled, we are ready with other plans,” the official added.

The ACC is supposed to make decisions in the interest of all Asian teams. But recently, the BCCI and ACC relations haven't been great. The official also stated that “If the ACC continues like this, we may even pull out of the Asia Cup.” This situation shows the complex relationship between cricket and politics in South Asia. As of now, the future of the Asia Cup remains unclear.

India Tour of Bangladesh 2025 Postponed

Earlier, the Indian team was set to tour Bangladesh for a white-ball series in August. But the BCCI convinced the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to postpone the tour indefinitely. The decision to delay the India tour of Bangladesh 2025 has opened up the August window for Team India.

Many cricket boards have shown interest in playing matches with India in August. The official also disclosed, “We have got offers from three or four boards. We are looking into them. We don’t want our players to sit idle for two or three months.” The Asia Cup is likely to start on September 5, but one of the biggest issues is whether India should play against Pakistan.

There was a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22. After that, the Indian government has been extra careful. “The UAE was almost finalised before the Pahalgam attack. But now, things have changed. We are waiting for the government’s approval”, the source further said.

Notably, the BCCI still plans to host the Asia Cup. However, they are waiting for the Indian government’s green signal before making any big decisions. The tournament will be played in the T20 format. It is an important tournament regarding the preparation for the T20 World Cup next year.