In a significant decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly reversed its stance on India’s participation in the 2022 Asian Games. The event was originally scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 10th to September 25th, 2022, however, will now take place from September 28th to October 28th, 2023.
Initially, the BCCI had pulled out of the Asian Games on grounds of prior commitments as the reason for the non-participation of India’s men’s and women’s teams in the upcoming edition of the Asian Games. The Asian Games is a prestigious continental multi-sport event, often described as the second largest after the Olympic Games.
According to the BCCI’s Future Tour Programme (FTP), the Indian women’s team is scheduled to play against South Africa and New Zealand during the Asian Games window of September to October. Meanwhile, the men’s team will be preparing for the home One-Day International (ODI) World Cup, which is scheduled for October to November.
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฅณ๐ฅ
BCCI Apex Council has officially confirmed ๐ฎ๐ณ India's participation in the Asian Games 2023.#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/p97JClLfxF
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 8, 2023
However, from a recent development, it has been understood that the men’s team for the Asian Games will consist of a ‘B’ squad, as the top players will be participating in the home World Cup. On the other hand, it is expected that the first-string women’s team will represent India at the Asian Games.
A BCCI official in a media byte expressed the boards’ intention to overcome the challenges posed by prior commitments through efficient planning, communication, and coordination. H further stated that the board aims to contribute to the national cause by ensuring the participation of teams in both the men’s and women’s categories, aligning with the directives of the Government of India.
The BCCI’s reported U-turn aligns with expectations, particularly considering that their decision against participation came at a time when the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been actively pushing for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics. It is worth noting that a few days after the Asian Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is scheduled to hold a session in Mumbai to discuss and potentially decide on cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics.
Previously, the BCCI had also opted against sending cricket teams to the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, despite cricket being a part of the sporting event. Cricket was not included in the 2018 Asian Games and is now set to make a comeback at the upcoming Hangzhou Games. It is worth mentioning that the BCCI allowed the women’s team to compete at the Commonwealth Games last year, where they won a silver medal.