Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has stirred controversy with his recent remarks regarding the future of the Asia Cup and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), amid the ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan.
Tensions have surged between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since the attack, with New Delhi suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and Islamabad responding by closing its airspace to Indian airlines. Diplomatic channels have cooled, with both sides reducing high-level contacts.
This follows reports suggesting the Asia Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, may be cancelled due to the escalating conflict. While official dates and venues remain unannounced, the geopolitical situation casts doubt on the tournament's future.
Gavaskar's comments come as anticipation builds for the 2025 Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka later this year.
During a recent interview at a local sports platform, the legendary opener raised doubts about Pakistan's participation in the tournament, citing the current political climate and the Indian government's influence on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
"BCCI's stance has always been what the government of India tells them to do. So I don't think it would be any different when it comes to the Asia Cup. India and Sri Lanka are the hosts for this particular edition of the Asia Cup, so it depends on whether things have changed at all, but if things haven't changed, I can't see Pakistan now being part of the Asia Cup, which is going to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka," Gavaskar stated.
He went on to speculate on a broader fallout, suggesting the possible dissolution of the ACC and the introduction of alternate tournament formats.
"I don't know how it will be. It might be that the Asian Cricket Council could well be disbanded, and you could just have a three-nation tour, that could well have a three-nation tournament, or a four-nation tournament with maybe Hong Kong or UAE being invited. So that could well happen, the Asian Cricket Council could well be disbanded. But I think it is dependent on what happens in the next couple of months," he added.
Gavaskar also hinted at the possibility of India withdrawing from the ACC altogether and organizing its own four or five-nation tournaments, potentially hosted in India, Sri Lanka, or Bangladesh. He emphasized that much depends on how the situation develops in the coming months.
These comments from the former Indian captain highlight the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan's participation in the Asia Cup and raise questions about the future of the ACC itself. As the tournament approaches, cricket fans across the region will be watching closely to see how these developments unfold.
"It could well happen that India decides to pull out of the Asian Cricket Council that could well happen," he said.
"We can say look we're going to have a 4 nation tournament or a 5 nation tournament in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and it could be, it could well be that if the tournament is held in Bangladesh, the tournament is held in Sri Lanka, but obviously India is going to be the host, then India will host it in India," he concluded.
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