BCCI secretary Jay Shah says a final decision to field teams in Asian Games will be taken later based on both the men’s and women’s teams existing commitments.
Cricket will make a comeback at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou later this year but India, the game’s financial engine, is unlikely to field teams owing to existing commitments.
Decision To Send Teams In The Asian Games Will Be Based On Existing Commitments: Jay Shah
Few expected India’s men’s team to compete in the September Games risking injury to the players ahead of the 2022 T20I World Cup in Australia from October 16. Participation of the women’s team, who will compete in the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham in July-August, now also looks unlikely.
“As far as the Asian Games in Hangzhou is concerned, a final decision on whether to send both men’s and women’s teams will be taken later and based on our existing commitments,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said.
The Asian Games coincides with the women team’s limited-overs tour of England where they are scheduled to play three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah: FTP Needs To Be Adhered To
Hosting India is a lucrative proposition for any board and Jay Shah said honouring bilateral commitments was particularly important in a post-Covid world.
“The BCCI has always stood by member boards and helped them in these difficult times,” Shah said. “The board firmly believes in honouring its bilateral commitments.“We are committed to our fans here in India and it is absolutely important that we safeguard our home season. The FTP [Future Tours Programme] that has been created it needs to be adhered to.”
The reluctance of the BCCI, the world’s richest cricket board, was seen as a major impediment to the game’s Olympic inclusion. But a change in BCCI’s stance has emboldened the ICC’s push for cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“The BCCI and ICC are on the same page on this and agree that the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics is good for the growth of the game,” added Shah.
Cricket will be one of the 40 sports to be played at the 2022 Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China from 10 to 25 September 2022. The sport makes its return to the Asian Games roster after 8 years. Cricket was last played at the 2014 Asian Games.
In 2014 Asian Games, Sri Lanka won Gold and Afghanistan won silver while Bangladesh won bronze. In the 2010 Asian Games men’s event, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan in the final to win the gold medal while the latter won the silver medal. The bronze went to Pakistan, as they beat Sri Lanka in the third-place match.