The ongoing 2025 Asia Cup has been marred by controversy. This year’s edition is now mocked and ridiculed as one of the most boring tournaments in the rich history of the Asia Cup. This has raised questions on the future of the Asia Cup and its survival beyond 2025. Can there be a change from the current form?
Introduction
The Asia Cup, in the past, was considered one of the most competitive tournaments in cricket with Asian cricket giants battling for the silverware. The tournament was always full of edge-of-the-seat moments, close contests, and regional rivalries as teams in Asia were strong and competitive, and results were unpredictable.
But the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup tournament is considered a Flop Show, and it could be due to several factors.
In the past, while India–Pakistan was the marquee clash, other teams like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were also no pushovers. Cricket was the winner here with rich talents, superior infrastructure, and consistent cricket quality in the Asia Subcontinent. With Afghanistan slowly coming up in their game, the Asia Cup tournaments became even more competitive.
But, unfortunately, due to geopolitical and internal management issues within their respective cricket boards, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have seen a decline in their cricket over the years. Only Team India has been an exception, which kept improving both in skills and in its financial might.
Due to this, there is now a glaring gap between the quality of the Indian Team and others.
The Silver Lining – Afghanistan and many associate nations prospered due to the Asia Cup, and today, Afghanistan cricket has created a name for itself in white ball cricket.
Why Asia Cup is failing?
The Downslide of Pakistan Cricket – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) administration has been marred with chaos and controversy and has seen constant infighting amongst players. This is due to the rising groupism and favouritism.
Though India and Pakistan clash still carries a lot of buzz, draws huge audiences due to their political and historical rivalry, the results however, have now become predictable. A far superior Indian Cricket Team has made recent encounters between the two teams a one-sided affair. This has affected the drama and balance that used to define the Asia Cup.
The Downslide of Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi Cricket –The Sri Lankan team is currently in its transition period, rebuilding a new young team with many seniors retiring from the game. Sri Lanka has also been plagued by inconsistent team selections, poor administration, and a lack of emerging world-class players.
The team is now showing positive results in recent times under Sanath Jayasuriya at the helm.
Bangladesh Cricket, unfortunately, has been a team that has settled for mediocrity, which has led to their cricket not improving over the years to take the next level to challenge India and SENA countries.
Format Inconsistency In Asia Cup
Asia Cup shuffles with the format of T20 and ODI based on the format of the World Cup to be played that year. This has led to inconsistency and a clear dilution of the tournament in terms of its identity as a premium tournament.
Due to the lack of competitive nature to the tournament as a whole, India has often avoided sending their core team if the tournament is scheduled very close to the World Cup.
This has diminished the quality of cricket and has undermined the tournament’s stature.
The Current Hostilities with Pakistan and Operation Sindoor- Before Asia Cup
Since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, India suspended all bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan, limiting encounters to multinational tournaments only.
For multinational tournament clashes, both team play their games in neutral venues for now.
The Relationship between India and Pakistan post the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor had taken a toll on the emotions of the Indian fans, who did not want to see the Indian team play with a country that backs terrorism.
After the venue for the 2025 Asia Cup was moved out of India, hosting the tournament, many Indian fans called for the BCCI and Team India to boycott the tournament altogether as it was not an ICC event.
Considering India’s Global aspirations in the game, Team India was given the go-ahead to participate in the tournament. This decision sparked widespread disappointment among fans, leading many to boycott the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash.
Hand Shake Controversy in the 2025 Asia Cup
The Indian team’s refusal to shake hands post-match with the Pakistan team also underlined the fact that the players, too, did not want to share any pleasantries with Pakistan.
While this act ruffled feathers in the Pakistan camp, it gave the Indian Fans a lot of Joy as the Indian Team made a huge statement by their gesture.
A similar treatment is expected in all future fixtures with Pakistan in both the Men’s and Women’s Teams, including the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Future of the Asia Cup
With Pakistan cricket not as dominant as a cricketing nation today, the enthusiasm for an India–Pakistan clash on the field has become almost insignificant.
Hosting the games in neutral venues, thus depriving the cricket crazy fans of India of a tournament at home, may push the tournament to make a course correction.
It may mean
- Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to come out of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and not participate in future ACC tournaments.
- India to create a parallel tournament amongst Asian Teams without Pakistan.
This move may lead to the eventual dismantling of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which depends heavily on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ‘s participation.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s threat to withdraw from the Asia Cup 2025 over the Andy Pycroft handshake row made headlines, but the PCB’s bluff was called by the ICC, and ultimately, the game was played as scheduled, leaving the PCB embarrassed.
Is Pakistan Cricket strong enough to hold the Asia Cup at Ransom? ‘Absolutely Not’.
Indian Fans are not amused that India is playing against Pakistan. Also broadcaster has tried to downplay the Indian sentiments by intentionally tagging Pakistani commentators in India games that does not concern Pakistan Team. Boycott Pakistan game will again do the rounds for the balance of the tournament with a potential two more games against Pakistan on cards.
In its current form, the Asia Cup has lost its competitive edge, as is evident in the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup. Though it holds cultural and historical significance, the strained relationship between India and Pakistan, the quality of cricket played, and the lack of competitiveness could force the tournament to make structural reforms in the Asia Cup from its current form.
The absence of a reform may lead to sponsors backing out, which will lead to the eventual slow death of the tournament.
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