Sourav Ganguly shares his stance on India-Pakistan cricket relations

Former Indian captain and current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, Sourav Ganguly, has urged India to cut all cricketing ties with Pakistan. 

Speaking at a recent media interaction in Kolkata, Ganguly emphasized the need for strong action in response to the ongoing threat of terrorism, calling it a major concern.

"100 percent, this (breaking ties with Pakistan) should be done. Strict action is necessary. It is no joke that such things happen every year," said Ganguly, making his stance clear on the issue.

India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket series for several years. Instead, the two teams have only faced each other in ICC events, such as the T20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, and tournaments organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), like the Asia Cup.

Meanwhile, rumors suggesting that the BCCI had approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) to place India and Pakistan in separate groups at future global events have been dismissed by the board. These rumors emerged following the recent Pahalgam attacks but have been firmly rejected as baseless by BCCI officials.

BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla clarified that any decision regarding Pakistan's participation in international tournaments would be made only after consulting with the Indian government. Additionally, BCCI sources confirmed that no official communication has been sent to the ICC concerning any changes to the tournament groupings.

Despite the heightened political tensions, there has been no official move to alter the tournament formats involving India and Pakistan.

Looking ahead, the global cricket calendar remains relatively calm, with no major ICC events scheduled until the Women’s ODI World Cup in September-October 2025, which will be hosted in India. Pakistan has already qualified for the eight-team competition, which will be played in a round-robin format, meaning all teams will face each other without the need for group divisions.

Matches involving Pakistan are expected to be held at neutral venues. While India is the host nation, the final decision regarding the venues will be made by the BCCI, and that decision is still pending.

Before the Women’s World Cup, the focus will shift to the men’s Asia Cup, for which India holds the hosting rights. However, like in previous editions, the tournament is likely to be played at a neutral location, with the UAE or Sri Lanka being considered as potential hosts. A final decision on the venue is still to be made, with September being the targeted time frame for the tournament.