BCCI Requests ICC to Separate India and Pakistan in Future Tournaments

The Board of Control for Cricket in India reportedly asked the International Cricket Council to avoid placing India and Pakistan in the same group for future ICC events, a move that follows a deadly terror attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives on Tuesday.

A Cricbuzz report indicated that BCCI officials want to sidestep an India-Pakistan face-off during the group stage of ICC tournaments. The next major event on the calendar is the Women's ODI World Cup, scheduled for September in India. Pakistan, one of the eight qualifiers, will compete in a round-robin format but will not host any matches on Indian soil; neutral venues are yet to be confirmed.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the board would adhere to government guidelines. However, a senior BCCI source told the website that no formal request had reached him.

Attention now shifts to the Asia Cup, set for September with India as host. Earlier speculation pointed to all matches being played at neutral sites, including Dubai and Sri Lanka. The Asian Cricket Council has inked a media-rights deal valued at $170 million for four editions, under an understanding that each tournament feature at least two India-Pakistan matches, and a possible third in a final showdown. The 2025 package is priced at about $38 million, compared with the average $42.5 million per edition.

In the 2023 Asia Cup, India and Pakistan met twice—in the group stage and again in the Super Four round. The second match ended without a result, and Pakistan failed to advance to the final. India went on to defeat Sri Lanka for the championship.

The ACC is expected to release the Asia Cup group-stage draw in May. Officials say final decisions on scheduling and venues will depend on the evolution of security conditions and diplomatic relations between the two nations.