After terror attacks, India vs Pakistan at Asia Cup to go ahead—can govt step in? Not yet
Not at the moment.
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Tensions remain raw after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April, where 26 civilians were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. The massacre briefly brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a military confrontation. Now, just a few months later, the two cricketing nations are scheduled to face each other in a tournament led by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi.
Despite the strong emotions, the sports ministry has no jurisdiction over the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as things stand.
'As of now, the BCCI does not come under the purview of the sports ministry as the
National Sports Governance Bill
is still to be passed. So, the ministry doesn't have a say, but we will wait and see how the BCCI responds to public sentiment,' a ministry official told PTI.
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Former defence intelligence chief Lt Gen (Retd) KJS Dhillon is among those urging a boycott of all sporting ties with Pakistan. But Sourav Ganguly, ex-BCCI president and Indian captain, while condemning terrorism, has pushed for sport to continue uninterrupted. 'Sport should go on,' he said.
The sports ministry has made its position clear: bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan are off the table. But multilateral events like the Asia Cup are governed by international charters.
India, eyeing a bid for the 2036 Olympics, is especially mindful of the Olympic Charter, which bars political discrimination. That's why Pakistan was allowed to send athletes for events held in India, and why India is unlikely to block their participation in return.
Cricket is now part of the Olympic fold and is set to debut at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. However, the Asia Cup is not governed by the ICC. It's a property of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), currently headed by the PCB.
This year's tournament has a marquee India-Pakistan clash lined up for September 14, with two more potential face-offs if both sides progress. Broadcasters are betting big on these matches—and not without reason.
Sony Network paid a hefty USD 170 million for an eight-year broadcast deal with the ACC. If India and Pakistan don't square off, those viewership numbers and ad revenues could take a serious hit. That, in turn, could impact ACC's earnings—and by extension, the funding of its 24 member boards, many of whom rely on these revenues for development.
BCCI's own coffers may be large enough to absorb the blow, but smaller nations would feel the pinch.
So what about the new sports bill?
The National Sports Governance Bill, introduced in Parliament just last week, contains a clause that could, in theory, give the sports ministry the power to step in. It allows the government to 'impose reasonable restrictions' on Indian teams' international participation when 'necessitated by extraordinary circumstances' and 'in the national interest.'
But the bill is still working its way through Parliament. It hasn't been passed by both Houses, nor received the President's assent. Until that happens, it doesn't have the force of law. And until then, the BCCI remains autonomous.
'The scenario changes when that happens. But as of now, it is status quo. It is the BCCI's call,' the ministry source said.
India and Pakistan haven't played a bilateral series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. But they've regularly clashed in multi-nation tournaments like the World Cup and Champions Trophy, events that draw millions of viewers and advertisers alike.
With inputs from PTI
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