India And Pakistan Tension Continues To Simmer, But Lucrative Asia Cup Will Go Ahead
It was an inevitable announcement despite months of tension and posturing from bitter foes India and Pakistan that seemingly threatened the highly lucrative biennial Asia Cup.
Asian Cricket Council chair Mohsin Naqvi, who also doubles as the Pakistan Cricket Board chair and the country's interior minister, announced on Saturday that the Asia Cup will go ahead from September 9-28.
As I reported last month, the eight-team tournament - featuring five Full Members and three Associates - will be played in the United Arab Emirates after India were the designated hosts.
Sri Lanka had also been under consideration, it is learned, but the reliable option of the UAE - the headquarters of the International Cricket Council - won out.
In a deal struck ahead of the Champions Trophy earlier this year, India and Pakistan games are played at neutral venues under a three-year arrangement.
There have been major question marks over the Asia Cup since a gun massacre of tourists in April in Kashmir pushed nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan to the brink of war. A ceasefire was later announced, but tensions have remained high.
The further straining of political ties has a major impact on cricket, clearly the most popular sport in both countries.
India and Pakistan rarely play each other in cricket (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty ... More Images)
But once India's governing body, the BCCI, received permission from the Indian government to play Pakistan then the Asia Cup was always going ahead despite the bluster.
There was too much at stake financially. And, of course, India and Pakistan have been drawn together in the same group at the Asia Cup - like they do at every tournament - and may play each other three times if they both reach the final.
The Asia Cup, more specifically the India-Pakistan games, essentially bankrolls regional body ACC, its pathways and smaller Asian nations reliant on funding. Established in 1983, the ACC's goal is to develop and promote cricket in Asia while fostering better relations with member nations.
The Asia Cup is its money-spinning crown jewel and played every two years in September - alternating between the 20 and 50-over formats.
India are the defending Asia Cup champions (Photo by)
'The entire monetization of the broadcast is based on this one match between India and Pakistan,' former ACC head of commercial and events Prabhakaran Thanraj told me in 2022.
'The men's Asia Cup is where almost all the funds come from for the ACC. Monetization will help put funds back into cricket.'
The tense relationship between India and Pakistan createst such a divide in cricket, a sport so reliant on India's heft both on-and-off the field.
They have not played each other in bilateral cricket for more than a decade leading to compromises - like them having never played one another in the World Test Championship leading to integrity issues of the tournament - that are just shrugged off as nothing can seemingly be done.
The tensions are evident and there are some fears of a sidelining for Pakistan. India have taken a stranglehold of the ICC after the recent appointment of Sanjog Gupta as chief executive, hot on the heels of Indian compatriot Jay Shah's ascension as chair.
Shah was previously at the helm of India's governing body and he is the son of India home affairs minister Amit Shah. With cricket and politics so intertwined, it's little wonder relations between the foes was a topic whispered on the sidelines of the recent ICC annual conference in Singapore.
'There are some people with strong nationalistic views in positions of power who drive policy,' a senior cricket administrator told me. "Tensions aren't going down and the other Asian (Full Member) countries also get sucked in and it becomes a game of politics.
'There are many tentacles to this and an issue that won't end.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Root resumes on 99 not out against India at Lord's
Third Test, day two, Lord's - series level at 1-1 England resume on 251-4 with Root unbeaten on 99 and Stokes 39 not out Stokes fit to play after injury scare late on day one Listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary at top of page Test Match Special for overseas listeners Get Involved - #bbccricket, WhatsApp 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only - charged at standard message rate) Root resumes on 99 not out against India at Lord's
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Martin Buday 'very upset and very sad' about UFC exit despite 7-1 promotional record
Martin Buday was riding a three-fight win streak when his manager called in late July. The fighter, then ranked No. 12 in the UFC's heavyweight division, had just scored a unanimous decision win over the legendary jiu-jitsu champion Marcus Buchecha at UFC Abu Dhabi. Buday was still celebrating — Buchecha, after all, had been an idol of his for more than a decade. But on fight week, Buday said, the two foes 'separated any good emotions' during an impromptu meeting. They shook hands and wished the best man to win. That man, on July 26, was Buday. Buday out-struck Buchecha on the feet and successfully stuffed the jiu-jitsu ace's takedown attempts. He ground out a convincing but unspectacular win. The 33-year-old explained Monday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he knew the Buchecha bout would be the last of his UFC contract, but he'd been in that situation before. 'In the first contract, they let me fight it to the end,' he said. 'This was the same scenario, again.' Back then, an August 2023 first-round submission win over Josh Parisian helped seal Buday's fate. The UFC offered a four-fight contract extension. This time around, there was no such deal. There was no negotiation. The UFC was no longer in the Buday business. 'I found out last Wednesday [July 30],' said Buday. 'I got a call from my manager to say the UFC will not be extending the contract with us. So, it was pretty rough. I was very upset and very sad because I love UFC. I was hoping to get re-signed. I was sad about the situation.' Buday, who won seven of his eight UFC appearances in the promotion's heavyweight division, said he's aware of the reasons why. He'd been told his victories needed that punctuation mark — that slam dunk. Buday needed to finish people in exciting fashion, rather than win by decision, as all but the Parisian win were. 'My fights are not attractive on the eyes of the fan,' he said. 'But I do everything to secure the win. That was the main problem — I didn't have finishes in the fight.' When Buday lost by brutal, second-round knockout to Shamil Gaziev in 2023, he feared the worst. He feared the UFC would cut him from the roster. It was communicated to him that the UFC "was not happy with decisions.' He needed a big finish, he said. But, against Gaziev, it was he who got finished. Buday admitted he was worried. "It was a bad performance," he said. Regardless, Buday rebounded to win three fights in a row. He eked out a split decision over the former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in June 2024, even though Buday's father died during fight week. Buday 'wasn't there mentally' that week, or in the fight itself, he said. 'It was a very unfortunate situation for me.' Buday then scored a clear-cut unanimous decision over Uran Satybaldiev this past April. And then, of course, he beat Buchecha in what he described as his 'best performance in the UFC.' Ranked No. 12 in the division after a three-year grind, his exit from MMA's market-leader blindsided him somewhat. 'I was hoping after my last performance that I would be re-signed,' he said. Nonetheless, Buday chooses to look at the future with optimism as he's confident his skills are improving. There are also at least three organizations scrambling for his signature, he claimed. Buday said there is interest from the PFL, and that Oktagon MMA — a surging promotion in Europe — is also keen to bring its former champ back. 'I have some offers from other promoters all around the world,' he said. One other proposal was from GLORY Kickboxing, but Buday knocked back their advances. He wants his next move to stay within the realm of mixed martial arts. He would also spur any advances from KSW, if there were any, because he trains alongside Phil De Fries, the current KSW heavyweight champion. 'I will decline that offer instantly,' he said. 'I will not fight my teammates.' That leaves PFL and Oktagon. 'I like the interest from PFL, and also Oktagon MMA, where I was champion before the UFC,' he said, noting that he's leaning toward a return to the organization he fought for from 2018-21. 'They're doing incredible things and are No. 1 in Europe right now. Expanding big. Doing stadiums. Big promotion, and good for them.' If Buday continues sharpening his skills and starts finishing fights rather than simply winning them, then he hopes a return to the UFC is in the cards. It's a company he says he still loves. 'I want to thank them for making me the fighter and person I am today,' he said. 'If I do some good wins, good finishes, maybe they will be open to re-signing me.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
UAE to host cricket tri-series ahead of T20 World Cup
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Arab Emirates will host a Twenty20 tri-series including Afghanistan and Pakistan later this month as part of the teams' buildup for next year's T20 World Cup. Sharjah will host all seven games of the tri-series, starting Aug. 29. Teams play against each other twice before the top two qualify for the final. Pakistan and Afghanistan have already secured direct qualification for the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. UAE could also qualify but it has to play ICC's Asia-East Asia and Pacific qualifiers in Oman in October. Afghanistan, which finished seventh in the last T20 World Cup, hasn't played a T20 since a bilateral series against Zimbabwe late last year. Pakistan is currently playing a T20 series against West Indies in the United States. The tri-series will be followed by the Asia Cup, also scheduled to be held in the UAE, from Sept. 9 when Afghanistan takes on Hong Kong in the opening game. ___ AP cricket: The Associated Press
