UAE To Host Cricket’s Asia Cup, But India-Pakistan Tensions Jeopardize Lucrative Event

This year’s Asia Cup, a highly lucrative biennial event that essentially bankrolls regional body Asian Cricket Council, is set to be played in the United Arab Emirates with officials remaining hopeful a cancellation can be avoided in the aftermath of renewed hostilities between foes India and Pakistan.

There have been major question marks over the September tournament since a gun massacre of tourists in April in Kashmir pushed nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan to the brink of war. A ceasefire was later announced, but tensions remain high.

The further straining of political ties has a major impact on cricket, the most popular sport in both countries. India’s governing body, the BCCI, normally seeks permission from the Indian government to play Pakistan in multinational events.

Indian media say the BCCI is set to pull out of the tournament, with The Indian Express reporting that the move is to isolate Pakistan cricket. Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chair, heads the ACC having taken the reins from new International Cricket Council boss Jay Shah.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia downplayed those reports and it is learned that the ACC still remains optimistic that the Asia Cup will go ahead.

“Things have been quiet amid the tension and there is much to play out, but there is still time,” an official close to discussions told me.

Next month’s ICC Annual General Meeting in Singapore could bring the issue to a head with a final decision expected then. India is the host nation, but it is learned that the tournament will be played in the UAE if it does go ahead. Sri Lanka had been also under consideration.

If India does decide to pull out then it appears the Asia Cup will be cancelled. It would be a blow for cricket in the region, especially smaller nations reliant on invaluable funding essentially generated from marquee games between India and Pakistan, who rarely play each other due to a severing of bilateral ties.

The media rights deal for the Asia Cup is reportedly worth $170 million and divvied up between the ACC’s 27 members. Established in 1983, the ACC’s goal is to develop and promote cricket in Asia while fostering better relations with member nations.

“The entire monetization of the broadcast is based on this one match between India and Pakistan,” former ACC head of commercial and events Prabhakaran Thanraj told me in 2022.

“The men’s Asia Cup is where almost all the funds come from for the ACC. Monetization will help put funds back into cricket.”

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The last Asia Cup in 2023 was hosted by Pakistan, but amid a hybrid model with India’s games played in Sri Lanka. The hybrid model has been a compromise struck between the nations with India’s matches in the Champions Trophy earlier this year – a tournament Pakistan also hosted – played in the UAE.

India are the defending Asia Cup champions, with the tournament acting as preparation for World Cups and thus alternates between T20 and ODI formats. This year’s Asia Cup serves as a dress rehearsal for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.