Will India participate in Asia Cup 2023?

The BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday confirmed that Team India will not be travelling to their neighbouring country Pakistan for the ODI Asia Cup next year. Instead, the BCCI will insist on a neutral venue for the continental championship.

“Neutral venue for Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan,” Shah, also the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), said after the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. “I have decided that we will play at a neutral venue,” he added.

The 2022 edition of Asia Cup, allotted to Sri Lanka took place in the UAE. The 2023 edition, a 50-over tournament, a pre-cursor to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, is supposed to be held in Pakistan. The BCCI had initially kept the option of sending its team to Pakistan but Shah clarified that the question now does not arise.

The decision was made after seeing the political tensions between the two countries.

India and Pakistan have not played in a bilateral series since 2013. In fact, the last time that India contingent travelled to Pakistan was for three Tests and five ODIs way back in 2006. While the hosts won the Test series 1-0, the Rahul Dravid-led Team India decimated Pakistan 4-1 in the ODI leg.

Ahead of the 2022 Asia Cup, which Sri Lanka won by defeating Pakistan in the summit clash, when Rohit Sharma was asked about the possibilities of a bilateral series between India and Pakistan, the Indian captain said: “If I had the option to answer this question, I would have given it. Respectable boards make these decisions. This is not in our hands but if boards decide to play, then we will play.”

The International Cricket Council on Wednesday released the Men's Future Tours Programme (FTP) 2023-27, confirming the international calendar for all Full Members across all three formats of the game. In total, there will be 777 international matches - 173 Tests, 281 ODIs and 323 T20Is - in the 2023-2027 FTP cycle compared to the 694 in the current one.

But, in the next FTP cycle, Team India might refrain from taking part in the 2023 Asia Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy.

What does the new FTP say...

Pakistan are scheduled to play around 238 days of international cricket during the four-year period comprising 27 World Test Championship (WTC) matches (13 home and 14 away), 47 ODIs (26 home and 21 home) and 56 T20Is (27 home and 29 away).

India, on the other hand, will play 5-match Test series against England and Australia in the cycle. The Men in Blue will be playing 44 Tests, 63 ODI and 76 T20I from 18 August 2022 to February 2027.

ICC announces men's FTP for 2023-27: India to host Australia, England in Test series

India vs Pakistan in Pakistan?

As per the FTP, Pakistan have been given the hosting rights of two major tournaments - 50-over 2023 Asia Cup and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. It is worth mentioning that the last time Pakistan hosted an ICC tournament was way back in 1996.

Notably, the development has put India’s chances of participating in the tournaments in jeopardy due to political conflict between the two countries. While the two teams clash with each other in ICC and ACC (Asian Cricket Council) events, they don’t tour each other or play any bilateral series.

In fact, bilateral matches between India and Pakistan have not happened for more than a decade now. The last time Pakistan toured India was in the 2012-13 season when they played three ODIs and two T20Is, while the last time India cricket team visited Pakistan was back in 2008 when the PCB hosted the Asia Cup.

Moreover, the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team by a terrorist group meant that no international cricket took place in Pakistan for a long time. However, in the last two to three years, international teams have begun touring Pakistan, but India are not on the same page as other teams when it comes to playing in Pakistan.

What has happened in the past?

Pakistan boycotted the 1990–91 Asia Cup due to strained political relations with India and the 1993 tournament was cancelled for the same reason. Hence, history can repeat itself if India decides to take the same route as their arch-rivals.

India have a say in the matter...

Given the power that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) holds in ICC and ACC, it is likely that the 2023 Asia Cup and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be shifted out of Pakistan and played at a neutral venue.

Interestingly, last year Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja himself asserted that the BCCI runs the entire ICC and the PCB, in a way.

Raza said that India’s authoritativeness is the main reason why none of the other ICC members stand against them. Further, he opined that if someday the Indian government plans to trigger the crumble of Pakistan cricket, they can easily do so with the potential they possess.

According to the PCB chairman, PCB’s 50 per cent revenue comes from the ICC and almost 90 per cent of ICC’s revenue comes from the Indian audience/market and BCCI.

“The PCB gets 50 per cent of its funding from the ICC. The ICC conducts tournaments and the income generated from them is distributed among its member boards,” Raja told the Senate Standing Committee.

“Now, 90 per cent of the ICC funding is generated from the Indian market. In other words, Indian business houses are running Pakistan cricket. If tomorrow, the Indian Prime Minister decides that they will not fund Pakistan cricket, there’s a possibility that the PCB can collapse.”

The statement by Raza shows how powerful the Indian cricket board is and it shouldn’t be much of a big deal for them to get the 2023 Asia Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy moved out of Pakistan.

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