The Shifting Power Dynamics of Asian Cricket: Business, Politics and Emerging Forces

Over the past decade, Asian cricket has undergone a major restructuring not only on the field but also far beyond it. While India continues to become the financial and administrative fulcrum of the global game, emerging teams such as Afghanistan are challenging the old order. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other Asian nations are grappling with their own economic and administrative difficulties. Meanwhile, the tournaments of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the ICC global calendar and the politics of broadcasting rights have redefined the balance of power in the region. This report focuses on the three axes—business, politics and emerging forces—that are shaping the future of Asian cricket. The Asian Cricket Council was founded in 2026 and today has more than twenty members. The Asia Cup is its flagship tournament, played in both ODI and T20 formats. But in recent years there has been persistent controversy over its hosting and format. The 2026 Asia Cup was to be hosted by Pakistan, but India refused to travel there on security and political grounds. Eventually, under a hybrid model, some matches were played in Pakistan while India played its games in Sri Lanka. The arrangement was not easy—it exposed the tensions already present within the ACC and showed whose weight counts most in decision-making. That model also became a precedent. Whenever Pakistan is the host and India refuses to travel, a hybrid arrangement becomes the practical route. But it affects the uniformity of the tournament, the fan experience and the confidence of sponsors. India carries the greatest weight in ACC decision-making because it generates the largest share of revenue. That is why smaller member nations often find themselves in a difficult position—they can afford to offend neither India nor Pakistan. The gap between diplomatic balance and sporting competition has become a permanent feature of Asian cricket. Cricket between India and Pakistan has never been merely sport. Political tension between the two countries directly affects the cricket calendar. Bilateral series have been suspended since 2026-13; the two teams meet only in ICC and ACC tournaments. At the 2026 Asia Cup, the India-Pakistan match was played in Sri Lanka, where India won a rain-affected game. The value of such matches is enormous not only in sporting terms but also in terms of broadcast rights and viewership. A single India-Pakistan game generates several times more advertising revenue than the average match of any tournament. The Pakistan Cricket Board has consistently argued that politics should be kept out of sport and that India should come for bilateral series. The Indian position is that no tour is possible without government clearance. The biggest impact of this deadlock falls on Pakistan's finances—revenue from matches against India is a major boost for Pakistani cricket. Likewise, an India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup or a World Cup has a direct effect on broadcast rights. The lack of trust between the two boards affects not only the calendar but also players' careers and fans' emotions. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the richest cricket board in the world. Its share of ICC revenue distribution is the largest, and this has been a constant subject of dispute. In 2026 there was considerable debate over the new ICC revenue model, under which India received a proportionally larger share. The argument was that India is the largest source of global broadcast revenue, so its share should be larger. Critics argue that this limits the development prospects of smaller nations and deepens inequality in the global game. The Indian Premier League is the biggest symbol of this power. For 2026-2027, the IPL media rights were sold for approximately INR 48,390 crore—unprecedented for any cricket league. The IPL has created a huge economic platform not only for Indian players but also for foreign players. Players from Asian countries—whether from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh—improve their financial position and gain international experience by playing in the IPL. But there is another side: franchise cricket is increasingly prioritised over national teams, and the workload burden on players keeps growing. Some critics also argue that the dominance of leagues threatens domestic first-class cricket and the Test format. Afghanistan's story is one of the most inspiring in Asian cricket. A team raised amid war and displacement now holds a respectable place in world cricket. At the 2026 ODI World Cup, Afghanistan stunned everyone by defeating teams such as England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, emerging as a serious competitor mid-tournament. Players such as Rashid Khan, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are now recognised globally. Rashid Khan remained at the top of the T20 bowling rankings for a long time and is in demand across leagues. A major reason for Afghanistan's success is their experience in T20 leagues. Several Afghan players feature in the IPL and other leagues, which has improved both their confidence and technique. But the challenges are no fewer—the absence of a home venue, limited resources and political instability. The Afghanistan Cricket Board is recognised internationally, but the country's situation affects many tours and events. Even so, their progress on the field proves that a lack of resources can be overcome with determination. The depth of their bowling attack and the growing maturity of their middle order now make them not merely an underdog but a serious threat. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all have talent, but administrative and economic challenges hold them back. Pakistan has world-class players such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, but questions persist over the domestic structure and the board's stability. Frequent changes in captaincy and selection affect the team's performance. Sri Lanka showed with the 2026 Asia Cup and the 2026 Women's Asia Cup that its talent pool remains strong, but the economic crisis and players' inclination towards leagues are major challenges. Bangladesh have improved their domestic framework in recent years, yet a lack of consistency in major tournaments remains. The contribution of experienced players such as Shakib Al Hasan has been important, but the lack of leadership after him is a talking point. The biggest problem for these countries is the unequal distribution of revenue. When most of the money comes from India and its tournaments, smaller boards are left with limited resources to invest in domestic structures, player contracts and facilities. To bridge this imbalance, both the ICC and the ACC need to rethink. Some suggestions include linking revenue distribution not only to market size but also to development needs and performance. The ICC global calendar keeps adding tournaments. T20 World Cups, ODI World Cups, the Champions Trophy, the World Test Championship, the Asia Cup and bilateral series—the workload on players keeps rising. Players such as Indian captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli have periodically spoken about the need for rest. For fast bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah it is even more serious, because continuous matches increase the risk of injury. Player welfare is now a matter not only for team management but for the priorities of the boards. The expansion of franchise leagues adds to the problem. Besides the IPL, tournaments such as the Pakistan Super League, Lanka Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and Afghanistan Premier League are establishing their place. Players have more options, but balancing national commitments with league contracts is becoming harder. Many boards allow players to feature in leagues but require national duty to take priority. This sometimes creates controversy, such as when a player appears in a league despite injury or withdraws from a national tour. Broadcast rights are at the centre of the modern cricket economy. India is the largest broadcast market in Asian cricket, which is why the price of Asia Cup or India-Pakistan rights touches the sky. But the risk of this concentration is that if India does not take part in a tournament, questions arise over its commercial viability. The hybrid model at the 2026 Asia Cup was a result of this tension. It was also observed that when India's matches were shifted to another country, host Pakistan did not receive the expected revenue. For smaller member nations this is a double challenge. They must develop their domestic markets while reducing dependence on larger markets. Some countries have taken steps through domestic T20 leagues, but their reach and investment do not match markets such as India or Australia. In addition, political instability and economic crises limit the investment capacity of many boards. Another important aspect is the expanding scope of women's cricket. The Women's Asia Cup is now a regular fixture and women's teams from several Asian countries are progressing rapidly. Competition among India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh has increased. In Afghanistan, women's cricket is extremely limited for political reasons, which is a separate controversy. Broadcast and sponsorship for women's sport are still far below men's cricket, but the potential in this area is significant. Emerging teams such as Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Hong Kong are also playing a growing role in Asian cricket. Nepal have drawn the attention of the sporting world in recent years with T20 World Cup qualification and passionate home crowds. The biggest challenges for these teams are financing, infrastructure and an insufficient window for international matches. ICC development programmes support them, but their scope is limited. The future of Asian cricket will depend on three things: first, whether the ICC and ACC can bring more balance to revenue distribution; second, whether there is any practical improvement in cricket relations between India and Pakistan; and third, whether emerging teams—especially Afghanistan—can sustain their progress. Without these three, any long-term plan will remain incomplete. For sports fans this is an exciting period. Competition on the field is fiercer than ever, and the arrival of new teams has raised the stakes. But it is also true that the administration of the game still runs on an old framework, where money and politics often overtake sport. The real test for Asian cricket will be this—whether it can convert its commercial success into equal opportunity for all, or whether inequality will deepen further. The answer lies not only in the decisions of the boards but also in the patience and expectations of the fans who bring every match to life.