Asia Cup Fact Check: Did Pakistan Boycott Any Match Against India In The Past?

The rivalry between India and Pakistan has always been an intense one and has provided some memorable moments. However, the latest chapter in the rivalry has received backlash from Indian fans who are demanding a boycott of the match due to the Pahalgan attack. Team India will be going ahead and playing the match rather than boycotting. However, there has been one instance in the past when Pakistan boycotted match against India. Here's the detail

Pakistan boycotted the 1990 Asia Cup hosted by India

The incident we are talking about happened back in 1990, when India hosted the tournament. Pakistan chose to boycott the tournament due to the strained political relations between the two nations. Pakistan’s withdrawal at that time showed how difficult it was to keep sports away from politics, just like the current situation. The tournament went ahead in Pakistan's absence and India went on to lift the trophy beating Sri Lanka in the final in Kolkata.

Did India withdraw/ Boycott Asia Cup in past?

The inaugural edition of the Asia Cup was played in 1984 in the UAE. The Sunil Gavaskar-led side defeated Pakistan in the final of the three-game and three-team tournament to clinch the trophy. However, India withdrew during the second edition of the tournament held in 1986.

India were scheduled to defend their title in 1986 in Sri Lanka. But India did not travel there due to the civil war in SL. The Government of India instructed the BCCI to pull out. India was replaced by Bangladesh. Bangladesh made their ODI debut against Pakistan in the second game of the 1986 Asia Cup. Sri Lanka went onto lift the second edition of the tournament in the absence of India.