BCCI Dismisses Speculations About Withdrawal from Asia Cup Events

BCCI Responds to Rumors of Withdrawal

On Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) labeled recent reports as "speculative and imaginary" regarding its supposed decision to withdraw from both the men's Asia Cup and the women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

A report citing unnamed sources suggested that the BCCI would refrain from allowing Indian teams to participate in these Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments, particularly given the current leadership of the ACC by a Pakistani official amidst recent military tensions between the two nations.

Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's interior minister and the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), currently serves as the ACC President.

India, the defending champions, is set to host the Men's Asia Cup in T20 format this September, while Sri Lanka will host the Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia clarified, "We have noticed news reports claiming that the BCCI has decided against participating in the Asia Cup and the Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup. These claims are entirely unfounded, as the BCCI has not even discussed or taken any steps regarding these ACC events, let alone communicated anything to the ACC."

Saikia emphasized that the BCCI's primary focus remains on ensuring the successful execution of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which starts next month.

"Currently, our main priority is the ongoing IPL and the forthcoming series against England for both men and women. The Asia Cup and any other ACC event have not been topics of discussion at any level, making any reports on this matter purely speculative and unfounded," he stated.

"Should there be any discussions regarding ACC events in the future, any significant decisions will be communicated through the media," he concluded.