BCCI threatens to abandon Asia Cup 2020 if hosted in Pakistan: Report

The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) have made their stance clear that they won’t be participating in the Asia Cup 2020 if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hosts the tournament. The controversy surrounding the venue of the Asia Cup is due to the mounting political tensions between India and Pakistan.  BCCI had hosted the 2018 Asia Cup at a neutral venue due to the same reason and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has a decision on hands whether Team India should travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2020. 

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Asia Cup 2020: India won't feature in Asia Cup if Pakistan are hosts

The Asia Cup 2020 will be played in a T20 format to beef up the teams’ preparations ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. PCB’s CEO Wasim Khan had earlier declared that if India does not travel to Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup 2020, the PCB will boycott next year's T20 World Cup which is scheduled to take place in India. A BCCI official in a report by a leading Indian media outlet said that the board has no qualms with PCB hosting the Asia Cup 2020, but there is no way that Team India would be participating in the tournament in such a scenario. The official further added that if the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is okay with the Asia Cup sans India, then it is a different issue, but if India has to participate, then the venue cannot be Pakistan. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly is yet to comment on the issue.

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Asia Cup 2020: BCCI okay with neutral venue 

India were scheduled to host the 2018 Asia Cup but then the multi-nation event was shifted to a neutral venue considering the political tensions between India and Pakistan. The BCCI official advised the PCB to do the same with Asia Cup 2020 saying ‘a neutral venue is always an option.’ Bangladesh recently toured Pakistan in the first of the three-part tour after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) finally agreed to tour the country. They have already concluded the first part where they lost the three-match T20I series 0-2. Bangladesh will return for the second round where they will play the first Test of the two-match series from February 7. The third and final part will commence post the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which will see them lock horns in a one-off ODI and the second Test match of the ICC Test championship in April.

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