Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has made a startling prediction that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) might face disbandment amid escalating political and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan. With the Asia Cup 2025 fast approaching and India co-hosting the tournament alongside Sri Lanka, Gavaskar's comments come at a time of deep uncertainty surrounding Pakistan's participation.
The comments were made during an interview with Sports Today, where Gavaskar noted that due to the prevailing political climate especially after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people it is highly unlikely that Pakistan will be part of the Asia Cup tournament. His statements underline how closely intertwined cricket and geopolitics have become in the subcontinent.
India and Sri Lanka are set to co-host this year’s Asia Cup, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains committed to following the Indian government’s directive regarding cricketing ties with Pakistan. Given the current state of affairs, including India's recent ban on all Pakistani imports, cancellation of visas, and suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the possibility of any cricketing engagement between the two nations is extremely low.
Gavaskar didn't mince words in discussing the potential outcome if diplomatic tensions persist. “I won’t be surprised at all if the Asian Cricket Council gets disbanded with what’s been happening. If you’ve got two countries fighting each other, then it’s difficult to play sport with each other,” Gavaskar remarked, emphasizing the deep-rooted conflict that has now spilled into the sporting world.
He floated the idea of an alternative to the Asia Cup altogether, suggesting that in the event Pakistan does not participate, the tournament could evolve into a three- or four-nation series. “You could just have a three-nation tour, or a four-nation tournament with maybe Hong Kong or UAE being invited,” he said. Gavaskar also speculated that India could decide to withdraw from the Asian Cricket Council altogether. In that case, he suggested India might organize a separate tournament with friendly Asian cricketing nations such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. “If the tournament is held in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, India could still be the host. But I don’t see Pakistan being part of it,” Gavaskar explained.
The political rupture between India and Pakistan deepened following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s scenic Pahalgam region, where 26 civilians were killed. India has since moved swiftly, imposing a total ban on Pakistani imports, suspending visas, and threatening to divert water from the Indus River system. Relations between the countries are at a historical low, and sports, as always, is among the first casualties of such hostilities. Gavaskar’s comments mirror a growing sentiment among Indian cricket fans and policymakers that bilateral and even multilateral cricketing engagements with Pakistan are no longer tenable in the current atmosphere. The BCCI, he reiterated, would never act independently of the government’s stance.
While cricket bodies across Asia await official announcements regarding the future of the Asia Cup, Gavaskar’s remarks serve as a signal to the broader cricketing world that significant changes may be on the horizon. The dissolution of the ACC, while unthinkable in the past, may now be a real possibility. If India, Sri Lanka, and other willing participants go ahead with an alternate format under the BCCI’s leadership, the Asia Cup may no longer be held under the banner of the Asian Cricket Council, at least in its current form. Such a move could reshape the cricketing dynamics in the region for years to come. With the Asia Cup still months away and no clarity on whether Pakistan will participate or even be allowed to enter Indian soil, all eyes are now on the ACC and the BCCI for a formal direction. In the meantime, Gavaskar’s forecast adds another dimension to a rapidly evolving cricketing and diplomatic standoff.
