Asia Cup fixture with Pak to go as scheduled, ban on bilateral events stays

Business Standard

15 hours ago

Indian government will not stop its cricket team from facing Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 next month. However, the government has reiterated its ban on bilateral sporting contests with the neighbouring country. The Sports Ministry, while announcing a revised policy on Thursday, said India's engagements in multilateral competitions will continue unaffected, but bilateral tours and series remain off the table. Officials explained that India's approach to sporting ties with Pakistan mirrors its broader diplomatic stance, emphasising that while the Olympic Charter requires participation in global and regional events, New Delhi will not host or travel to Pakistan for direct encounters. The clarity ends weeks of speculation about whether the Asia Cup fixture would be jeopardised by political considerations.
Why the Asia Cup fixture was in question
The fate of India's clash with Pakistan at the Asia Cup had been a matter of uncertainty ever since deliberations began on the government's new sports policy. Cricket encounters between the two sides attract some of the highest viewership worldwide but are also weighed down by political sensitivities. With the tournament drawing near, doubts persisted over whether India would permit its team to take the field against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. Sources in the ministry clarified that while bilateral matches remain suspended, multilateral tournaments such as the Asia Cup, the World Cup and ICC events fall under a different category and will not be disrupted.
India's ban on bilateral events with Pakistan
According to the new guidelines, Indian teams will not participate in bilateral matches hosted in Pakistan, nor will Pakistani teams be allowed to tour India for similar contests. Officials noted that this stance reflects the government's broader policy of limiting direct sporting exchanges. The ministry pointed out that this has been the practice for several years, with the last full bilateral cricket series between the two countries played in 2012-13. Since then, interactions have been restricted to global tournaments, and the latest directive reaffirms that this position remains unchanged.
The World Championship of Legends controversy
The notion against India playing Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 was fanned further when the Indian team of former cricketers, playing in the World Championship of Legends event in England earlier, refused to play Pakistan—first in the league stages and then in the semifinal—resulting in their elimination. Fans questioned whether it is acceptable for the national team to play the neighbours in the Asia Cup despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions with Pakistan.
Government's take
The Sports Ministry said that India's participation in multilateral competitions reflects its adherence to the Olympic Charter and international commitments. A senior source said the government would not stop athletes from fulfilling these obligations, as global and regional tournaments are beyond bilateral considerations. At the same time, officials stressed that Pakistan would not be permitted to host or participate in bilateral fixtures involving India on Indian soil.
Bigger picture
This dual-track approach underscores India's strategy of maintaining its sporting obligations without normalising bilateral exchanges. By separating multilateral tournaments from direct contests, the government seeks to balance international expectations with national policy. For fans, the reassurance means that high-profile encounters, such as the Asia Cup match, will go ahead as planned, though the larger freeze in bilateral ties remains firmly in place.