Asia Cup Update: No Government restrictions on India-Pakistan match; Says official source

Sports Ministry sources said that both India and Pakistan teams do not play bilateral matches, but no one can stop the Indian team from playing in a multinational tournament like Asia Cup.

New Delhi: The government is not going to stop the Indian cricket team from participating in the Asia Cup to be held next month. According to news reports, Sports Ministry officials said that India will be given full permission to participate in this tournament.

India is going to play against Pakistan on 14 September in the Asia Cup, which has been in the headlines due to a lot of controversy.

Why Govt Has Can't Stop India To Play?

Sports Ministry sources said that both India and Pakistan teams do not play bilateral matches, but no one can stop the Indian team from playing in a multinational tournament like Asia Cup. The ministry has also recently released a new policy related to India's international sports activities; in this, special attention has been given to Pakistan. According to sources, this policy has been implemented with immediate effect.

According to this policy, India's attitude towards sports events related to Pakistan reflects India's overall political and diplomatic relations with that country. As far as bilateral sports matches are concerned, Indian teams do not go to play in Pakistan nor are Pakistani teams allowed to play in India. But this will not affect the multinational tournament.

Multi-National Tournament

Sources clarified that there will be no ban on the Indian cricket team from playing in the Asia Cup as it is a multi-national tournament. However, Pakistan will not be allowed to play bilateral matches in India. Also, the government also said that players cannot be stopped from participating in multinational tournaments, as India follows the rules of the Olympic Charter.

After this decision we can say that the Indian government is trying hard to maintain a balance between sports and diplomacy. Amidst the talks about the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup, this step is a relief for both the players and the fans. Now cricket lovers are eagerly waiting for this match.

Broadcasters May Suffer Major Loss

Broadcasters may suffer huge losses if the match between India and Pakistan is cancelled. A BCCI official told the report that the broadcast rights of the next four Asia Cups in 2024 have been sold for around Rs 1500 crore. This huge amount has been received mainly due to the India-Pakistan match. 10-second advertising slots for this match are sold for Rs 25 to 30 lakh, while for other matches of India this price is almost half. If the India-Pakistan match is cancelled, broadcasters may have to suffer huge financial losses. This can also have a negative impact on the credibility of BCCI.