 "BCCI's boycott of the ACC meeting in Dhaka has cast a shadow on the Asia Cup that was supposed to take place in India originally. AP/AFP")
The 2025 Asia Cup remains in a state of limbo with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and several other boards boycotting the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting that is scheduled to take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 24 July. According to India Today, the BCCI has conveyed its decision to the ACC and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, citing strained diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh as the reason for not attending the meeting in Dhaka.
The BCCI has the support of Sri Lanka, Oman and Afghanistan in its boycott of the meeting even as PCB chief Naqvi, who also serves as ACC President, remains adamant about holding the meeting in Dhaka.
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“The BCCI has clearly communicated its stance to both the ACC and chairperson Naqvi. They have also personally requested a change in venue, but there has been no response so far,” a source told India Today.
Why ACC cannot decide on Asia Cup in BCCI’s absence
Key decisions, including on the Asia Cup, cannot be taken in the absence of key member boards, as per the ACC Constitution, meaning the PCB and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will not be able to take a call on the Asia Cup even if they choose to go ahead with the meeting along with other boards as it would not be deemed legal.
The ACC is yet to make a decision on shifting the venue despite just five days remaining for the meeting, making this year’s continental event all the more unlikely.
Impact Shorts
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At any rate, hosting the Asia Cup without the Men in Blue, who are the most successful team in the tournament’s history and are the defending champions in the ODI format, is virtually unthinkable in the modern era and would end up as a loss-making venture.
Strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government last year has also led to India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh, which was supposed to take place from 17 to 31 August, getting rescheduled to September next year .
Sri Lanka have offered to host the Men in Blue for a second successive year with the Bangladesh tour rescheduled, although a final decision is yet to be made on the matter.