Boycott Pakistan! BCCI urges the ICC to avoid India-Pakistan group games at ICC events

It is learned that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) not to have India vs Pakistan matches in the group stages of ICC tournaments. This comes after the recent terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir.

Avoiding cricket with Pakistan

BCCI vice-president, Rajiv Shukla, has emphasised again and again that India won’t play any bilateral series against Pakistan. Moreover, they are hoping to boycott them even in global tournaments. Cricbuzz, however, has reported that the BCCI officials are yet to comment on the matter with conviction.

There is no ICC tournament scheduled in the near future either, except the Women’s ODI World Cup. The Women’s World Cup will follow a round-robin structure. Thus, BCCI officials are weighing their options and taking time to respond to the challenges.

India vs Pakistan in ICC events

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2012. It has been over a decade since any such series happened. The last time it happened, it was Pakistan that came to India to play the series. India has not gone to play in Pakistan for even longer. This was after the terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008.

Since then, India and Pakistan have clashed only in global tournaments like ICC events or the Asia Cup. The contest between the two is the most watched spectacle in the cricketing world. The cricket-crazy population of both countries look forward to the clash every time. India has stamped their authority over Pakistan in recent years, with wins in the Champions Trophy, ODI and T20 World Cups.

The two teams are almost invariably placed in the same group in ICC events. There is no official clarification about it, but such a case seems to be motivated by business considerations. The match generates far more revenue than any other contest.

Asia Cup

Later this year, BCCI is supposed to host the Asia Cup. It is expected to be in September. However, BCCI has not yet announced the venue for the tournament.

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