With the Asia Cup 2025 expected in September, India has been given the hosting rights, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to officially confirm hosting the tournament on home soil. This uncertainty has made the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wary and prompted it to consider alternative options.

According to reports, the PCB is in discussions with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to organize a tri-series involving Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE, as a backup plan in case the Asia Cup 2025 gets cancelled or cannot be held in India due to strained India-Pakistan relations.

A PCB source revealed, “Given the current tense ties between India and Pakistan, it appears unlikely the Asia Cup 2025 will take place in India in September. Hence, PCB is exploring a tri-series in August featuring Afghanistan and UAE as a preparatory event, which might replace Pakistan’s tour to Afghanistan.”

Pakistan had already announced it would not travel to India under the hybrid model for the Asia Cup. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC), led by PCB President Mohsin Naqvi, is expected to hold a meeting soon to finalize the status and hosting of the Asia Cup 2025, which will be played in the T20 format.