BCCI dismisses calls to boycott Pakistan vs India Asia Cup match

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear that India cannot skip its Asia Cup 2025 fixture against Pakistan. 

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained that the tournament’s multinational status leaves no room for a boycott. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Saikia said, “We have decided to participate in the Asia Cup because it is a multinational competition. It is just like an Olympic, any FIFA tournament, AFC tournament, or International Athletics Tournament.”

He added that refusing to play could have lasting consequences. “So we cannot boycott the multinational tournament because if we boycott this tournament, that will bring a lot of negativity for all our future endeavours of hosting any multinational tournament in the country,” Saikia noted.

Reiterating that the BCCI does not have unilateral authority in such matters, he explained, “So therefore, as it is a multinational competition, we are participating because we do not have a direct call or direct decision whether to play or not to play.”

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According to Saikia, the situation is different in bilateral cricket, where India has avoided playing Pakistan since 2012–13. “Had it been a bilateral tournament, we could have always said that we would not play against any hostile country. And so far as Pakistan is concerned, we are not playing any bilateral tournament since 2012-13 onwards,” he maintained.

The BCCI secretary said the board had to consider the players’ careers before making its decision. “We couldn’t have taken the risk of jeopardising the players’ careers, so the only option was to proceed with the match against Pakistan,” he stated.

He stressed that multilateral tournaments leave no choice. “But when it is an international tournament like last year’s T20 tournament in the West Indies and the USA, or any other tournament or maybe in February, also, there will be the ICC T20 World Cup or the present ICC tournament or the Champions Trophy, we are playing it because in those tournaments we do not have a direct call, we have to play,” Saikia explained.

“Otherwise, the whole tournament will get diluted,” he added.

Warning of wider consequences, Saikia pointed out, “And if we do that, then all other international associations will take action against the Indian Sports Federation.”

He further outlined the risks of non-participation. “Suppose India is not participating in an AFC football tournament or a FIFA qualifying tournament or the Davis Cup, or the Thomas Cup, then in future, if we want to host a Commonwealth tournament in India or the Olympics in the 2030s, all these factors will take an adverse position for India to bid for those tournaments to be held in India,” the BCCI secretary said.