India boycotted Pakistan match in WCL 2025, but have been scheduled to clash in Asia Cup 2025.
The Men's Asia Cup 2025 will take place in the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to September 28, according to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chief and current chairman of the ACC, announced the dates on social media.
The interesting thing was that India and Pakistan were placed in the same group and will play each other on September 14.
At the ACC meeting on July 24, it was decided to hold the event in the United Arab Emirates. The event is officially hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but because of political difficulties, India and Pakistan have decided not to play in each other's nations until at least 2027. As a result, the matches are being moved to a neutral location.
If both teams qualify for the final, a third clash is possible, meaning fans could witness India vs. Pakistan three times in the tournament.
Ever since the announcement, the BCCI has been slammed for its double standards on social media. Both the public and politicians have taken the Indian cricket board to task for not playing Pakistan in bilateral series since 2012, but have no issue with them playing each other in ICC and ACC events.
Former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin questioned the logic of playing Pakistan in ICC and ACC events while refusing to play bilateral series.
“If you’re not playing bilateral matches, then you shouldn’t play in international events either,” he said, calling out the double standards of the BCCI and the government.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the BCCI were also criticized by a number of politicians. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera criticized the announcement's timing, saying it coincided with Kargil Vijay Diwas. Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also aimed at the BCCI.
Former Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha also accused broadcasters and cricket boards of exploiting the India-Pakistan rivalry for TRPs.
The BCCI has not yet released a statement on the issue in spite of the criticism. A cricket match between former Indian and Pakistani players was canceled earlier due to social media backlash. The World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match was scheduled to take place in England.