Asia Cup in limbo as PCB explores alternatives with Afghanistan amid BCCI silence
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly begun exploring alternatives amid the rising non-clarity surrounding the 2025 Asia Cup. The continental tournament has been in limbo since the deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, where innocent tourists lost their lives, which was followed by a military showdown between India and Pakistan.
India are the hosts for the 2025 Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be played in September. It was pre-decided that Pakistan would not travel to India with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) having agreed to the hybrid model, which was accepted ahead of the Champions Trophy earlier this year after the Rohit Sharma-led team was not allowed to travel to Pakistan for the ICC tournament.
However, with BCCI remaining silent over the Asia Cup, PCB has initiated talks with the Afghanistan board to schedule a tri-series tournament involving hosts UAE, according to a report in the PTI. This is likely to be finalised only if the Asia Cup is cancelled.
'With the Asia Cup now unlikely to be held in India as originally planned in September due to the simmering relations between Pakistan and India, the PCB is working on another tri-series proposal,' a well-informed source in PCB told the news agency.
'The idea is that if the Asia Cup is moved to the UAE then Pakistan will play a tri-series with Afghanistan and the UAE in Dubai in August replacing the Afghanistan tour to Pakistan,' he explained.
The report further stated that PCB has already started conversing with the two boards.
'If the Asia Cup is cancelled or postponed, the PCB wants the Afghanistan and UAE teams to play the tri-series in Pakistan in August,' the source disclosed.
Meanwhile, sources confirmed to the PTI that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, also the ACC president, will meet soon to decide on the Asia Cup.
'The Indian cricket board is yet to confirm its willingness to host the Asia Cup at home. So, it remains to be seen when the ACC council meets and makes a call on the future of the Asia Cup which is to be held in the T20 format,' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
34 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Sauce": Aiden Markram Gets Praise From South Africa Greats After Heroic Century In WTC Final
Cricketing fraternity, especially from South Africa, lauded Aiden Markram for his historic century at Lord's during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia on Friday. A historic century from Markram, the first-ever by a Proteas player in an ICC tournament final and his unbeaten century stand with skipper Temba Bavuma helped South Africa come closer to their maiden ICC world title glory as they ended the day three of the WTC final in a remarkable fashion, scripting a memorable comeback in what has been a spectacular see-saw match. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan lauded the knock, calling it a "special innings" and terming the year as one for the "underdogs". "What a special innings by Aidan Markram .. At the most important time against a world-class attack he has produced one of the finest tons in a final ..This is a huge moment for a S.A. Cricket .. 2025 is certainly the year of the underdog.. maybe that will continue for the Ashes," posted Vaughan on X. What a special innings by Aidan Markram .. At the most important time against a World class attack he has produced one of the finest tons in a final .. This is a huge moment for a S.A Cricket .. 2025 is certainly the year of the under dog .. maybe that will continue for the Ashes — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 13, 2025 Former South African pacer Dale Steyn also congratulated Markram for his ton, posting, "S A U C E 100!!!!!!!!!". — Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) June 13, 2025 Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also posted, "High class (100) by Aiden Markram & surely one to remember for long time history is waiting for South Africa." Ex-England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, lauded Bavuma and Markram, noting that while victory is close, it would still be a "nervy sleep". "V v v v v good from Markram & Bavuma! With victory being so close, it'll still be a nervy sleep! I hope Lords is at capacity tomorrow morning for the first ball!," posted Kevin on X. Former South African skipper Faf Du Plessis also posted a story on Instagram in appreciation of Markram. High class by Aiden Markram & surely one to remember for long time history is waiting for South Africa. — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) June 13, 2025 South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, not a part of the match, also lauded "limping assassin" Bavuma, who scored a brilliant fifty despite battling hamstring issues for his knock. Dankie Malume! The limping assassin Take us home fella @TembaBavuma — Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90) June 13, 2025 South Africa have made 213 runs in 56 overs, led by a century-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma. Despite a hamstring injury, Bavuma fought through. Proteas are 68 runs away from victory with eight wickets in hand. Earlier in the day, a fine half-century partnership between Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder put South Africa in a solid spot at the end of the second session during day three of the WTC final at Lord's on Friday. At the end of the session, SA was 94/2, with skipper Temba Bavuma (11*) and Markram (49*) unbeaten. Starc played one of the finest innings of his life, which powered Australia to 207/10 from a poor position of 152/9, leading by 281 at lunch. Starc remained not out on 58, leaving Proteas to chase 282 to end their ICC title drought. Brief Scores: Australia: 212 and 207 (Mitchell Starc 58*, Alex Carey 43, Kagiso Rabada 4/59) against SA: 138 and 213/2 (Aiden Markram 102*, Temba Bavuma 65*, Mitchell Starc 2/37).
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey On Indian Strikers' Rule Change In ISL: "Stakeholders..."
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey on Friday admitted that the national team has been struggling to win matches of late after it faced backlash following the 0-1 shock loss to Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match. The defeat left India in a precarious position in its bid to qualify for the continental showpiece for the third time in a row. Addressing a press conference here, Chaubey alluded to lack of goals from the Indian strikers, which he said could be one of the reasons for the poor show by the team under Manolo Marquez. He said the stakeholders will discuss on how to increase the number of Indians playing as strikers in domestic clubs. "For any sport to grow in popularity, it is essential for the national team to perform well. It's true that our national team has struggled to secure wins against teams such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Thailand and Hong Kong. However, it's unrealistic to expect wins without scoring goals," Chaubey said. "This clearly highlights the lack of goal-scoring abilities and shortage of effective Indian strikers. A practical, collective decision is urgently required to increase match-time for the Indian strikers. "But how can this be achieved, this calls for a joint discussion among all the stakeholders, to develop a viable and collective roadmap. One possible measure could be the gradual reduction in the number of foreign players allowed in the domestic league thereby allowing more space for positive Indian strikers.. The issue of very few Indians playing as strikers in the Indian Super League -- from which most of the national team players are selected -- has been debated and brought to notice by successive coaches and former players. Asked if the restriction in the number of foreigners in the ISL teams can be implemented from the upcoming season, Chaubey, however, said the AIFF cannot force a decision on the stakeholders. "All the stakeholders will have to decided collectively. The AIFF cannot take the decision alone.. Chaubey was also not forthcoming on the speculation that incumbent head coach is on his way out after the 0-1 defeat to Hong Kong. "Manolo is one of the longest serving foreign coaches in Indian football. Over the past six years, he has managed multiple Indian clubs and secured trophies, including the Super Cup and the ISL Cup. "He understands Indian football, including the strength and weakness of the Indian players, as well as the opportunities and challenges within the Indian football ecosystem. He is better compared to others.. On whether Marquez will continue or not, Chaubey said, "We have an executive committee meeting on June 29. We will discuss this matter internally among the committee members and we will also take the opinion of the members of the AIFF Technical Committee also.. A presentation was also made on the winning percentages and number of goals of the national team under Stephen Constantine, Igor Stimac and Marquez. Under Constantine, the goals scored were 1.64 per match and win percentage of 57. The corresponding figures for Stimac is 1.01 and 35. Marquez's stint so far scored the lowest of 0.75 goals per game and win percentage of just 13. According to the presentation, none of the Indian strikers under the three head coaches got regular minutes as centre forward in their clubs. After playing with the clubs, they have to play in different positions while turning up for the national team. "It is very difficult for a player to play 11 months to play in a particular position and three days later while playing for the national team shifted to another position. I think Indian football is lacking there. "We have not generated positive strikers in the last 10 years. We obviously appreciate Sunil Chhetri's effort of being so sincere, dedicated and fit at the age of 40, but as a nation we also need to see the supply of more forwards. Chaubey also re-iterated India's bid to host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup. In April, the AIFF had announced that it has submitted the country's 'Expression of Interest (EoI)' to host the 2031 Asian Cup before the deadline of March 31. . AIFF has contacted OCI player. ======================= Currently, only Indian passport-holders can represent the country, but the sports ministry has recently indicated that it is willing to review a 2008 policy. "We formed a task force on this matter in August 2023 and thereafter we had several meetings. We have contacted 33 OCI players across the world," Chaubey said. "AIFF is aligned with the law of the land, but it is actively involved in securing OCI players. Many countries ranked below India have adopted the policy to allow naturalised citizens. We have discussed how countries like Hong Kong, Indonesia and Bangladesh doing well (because of naturalised players).. Elaborating further, he said, "It's a process, a systematic change is not possible. In 2008, OCI players were barred from playing for India. Our coaches had said what if India allows OCI players to play for the country. The previous regime also tried and they could not do it. Perhaps the situation was different." "I am also trying, taking it forward. But even if there is a list of 300 OCI players, they have to be eligible to play for India. Only then, the role of technical committee come in. "To make matter simple, we have made a list of such players and when we get the OCI card we will give to them and select them by sitting with the head coach." PTI PDS KHS PDS KHS
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
RJ Mahvash Blushes As Paps Tease Her About Yuzvendra Chahal: 'Bhai Kaise Hain?'
Last Updated: The dating rumours between Mahvash and Chahal began earlier this year when the cricketer was reportedly navigating his divorce with Dhanashree Verma. Rumours linking RJ Mahvash to cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal have been swirling for months, and their recent public interactions continue to fuel speculation. Though neither of them has officially confirmed the relationship, frequent appearances together and affectionate gestures on social media have kept fans guessing. In the latest development, RJ Mahvash was caught on camera by paparazzi while stepping into a lift. As soon as they spotted her, the paps cheekily asked, 'Bhai kaise hain?" – a clear nod to Chahal. Caught off guard, Mahvash couldn't help but blush and flash a shy smile, which instantly went viral online. Her adorable reaction has further amplified buzz around her connection with the Indian spinner. Mahvash, who is also a popular influencer, added to the lighthearted mood of the day by posting an Instagram story on June 13. Sitting in her office looking lost in thought, she wrote, 'Office aa gayi hu, kaam kese shuru karu weekend pe ye soch rahi hu?" Fans were quick to connect the dots, wondering if Chahal might be the reason behind the weekend hangover. The dating rumours between Mahvash and Chahal began earlier this year when the cricketer was reportedly navigating his divorce with Dhanashree Verma. Mahvash was spotted attending several of Chahal's matches and supporting him online — especially after his team fell short in IPL 2025. She penned heartfelt notes praising his dedication, further strengthening the whispers of a possible romance. Yuzvendra, too, has returned the support, regularly commenting on Mahvash's posts and encouraging her cheerleader-like presence on social media. Their social media banter has become a fan favorite, with many convinced that there's more than just friendship between the two. On the professional front, Mahvash recently ventured into acting with her debut in the series Pyar Paisa Profit, co-starring Mihir Ahuja. The show, based on Durjoy Datta's novel Now That You're Rich… Let's Fall In Love, also features Pratik Yadav, Neil Bhoopalam, Nitish Sharma, Shivangi Khedkar, and Ashish Raghav. The series is currently available for streaming on Amazon MX Player. First Published: June 14, 2025, 00:12 IST
