Asia Cup in limbo after India-Pakistan conflict

Pakistan and Indian fans wave their national flags during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2022 cricket match between India and Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on October 23, 2022. (AFP/File)
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Updated 03 June 2025
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Asia Cup in limbo after India-Pakistan conflict

  • India are scheduled to host T20 Asia Cup tournament in September this year
  • Strained ties worsened after intense fighting between India, Pakistan in May

NEW DELHI, India: This year’s Asia Cup hangs in the balance following the recent clashes between tournament hosts India and arch-rivals Pakistan.

Already-soured relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors further worsened after four days of intense fighting before a ceasefire was announced last month.

India are scheduled to host the Asia Cup, a flagship event of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), in September but uncertainty lingers over the T20 tournament.

“To be honest, we have had no discussions within the board about the Asia Cup,” a top official of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) told Reuters on Tuesday, refusing to confirm whether the tournament will go ahead as scheduled.

“We have been busy with the Indian Premier League and then we have India’s tour of England. These are our immediate concerns,” he added.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was not forthcoming about its team’s participation in the tournament in India either.

“We will cross that bridge when we come to it,” the PCB told Reuters in a statement.

ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the PCB, was not available to comment.

The ACC on Monday announced the postponement of the women’s Emerging Asia Cup, which was due to begin on Friday, citing weather conditions and the spread of the viral disease chikungunya in host nation Sri Lanka.

India will host the women’s 50-overs World this year but Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka under an arrangement made by the International Cricket Council.

India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy this year and played all their matches, including the March 9 final, in Dubai.

Bilateral cricket has been suspended since 2013 between the Asian neighbors, who play each other only in multi-team events.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir is against playing Pakistan even in neutral venues but will follow whatever the BCCI decided, he said last month.


Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi out of Big Bash League with knee injury

Updated 30 December 2025
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Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi out of Big Bash League with knee injury

  • Afridi will return home for rehabilitation ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup starting in February
  • Afridi, on debut in Australian T20 league, took two wickets in four appearances for Brisbane Heat

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has picked up a knee injury ​in Australia’s Big Bash League and will return home for rehabilitation ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup starting in February, his team Brisbane Heat said ‌on Tuesday.

Afridi, ‌25, suffered a ‌knee ⁠cartilage ​injury ‌fielding during Saturday’s win over Adelaide Strikers, Heat said in a statement.

“After consulting with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s medical staff during the past ⁠24 hours, it was agreed that ‌Afridi would ... return ‍home for ‍further treatment,” it added.

Afridi, making ‍his debut in the Australian franchise-based T20 league, took two wickets in four appearances for ​Heat.

“The BBL was everything I had heard it would ⁠be – lots of good, skillful cricket. I have enjoyed the challenge,” Afridi said in a statement shared by the team.

Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7 with a group stage game against ‌Netherlands in Colombo.