India is scheduled to host the 2025 Asia Cup around September later this year. However, since the Pahalgam terror attack in late April and the military showdown between India and Pakistan that followed, all relations between them, including diplomatic ties, have gone sour, with their respective cricket boards also maintaining silence over scheduled FTPs and their potential head-to-head clashes.
Although the BCCI remains firm in its stance of not playing Pakistan at any level across any format until the cross-border tension diffuses, further putting the future of this continental tournament in limbo, its counterpart, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), seemed to be irked and bothered by its silence. The latest reports suggest that the PCB is seeking alternatives should the BCCI decide against hosting or participating in the upcoming edition or dissolving this particular one altogether.
Even though the BCCI and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) agreed on a hybrid model for this edition, following an agreement between the two boards since the 2025 Champions Trophy venue fiasco, both have stood their ground over not resuming talks around this multi-team tournament.
A PTI report has confirmed developments from across the border, as the PCB has initiated talks with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) over scheduling a tri-series between them and the UAE, should the 2025 Asia Cup stand cancelled for any reason.
“With the Asia Cup now unlikely to be held in India as originally planned in September due to the simmering relations between Pakistan and India, the PCB is working on another tri-series proposal,” a well-informed PCB source said in a chat with PTI.
“The idea is that if the Asia Cup is moved to the UAE, then Pakistan will play a tri-series with Afghanistan and the UAE in Dubai in August, replacing the Afghanistan tour to Pakistan,” he explained.
The talks, however, are already underway with the two concerned boards.
“If the Asia Cup is cancelled or postponed, the PCB wants the Afghanistan and UAE teams to play the tri-series in Pakistan in August,” the source continued.
The source also claimed that the ACC president, Mohsin Naqvi, also the PCB chairman, will soon hold talks about the 2025 Asia Cup.
“The Indian cricket board is yet to confirm its willingness to host the Asia Cup at home. So, it remains to be seen when the ACC council meets and makes a call on the future of the Asia Cup, which is to be held in the T20 format,” he added.