Mumbai, June 1 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will not send teams to this year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, where the sport will make its debut.
The BCCI said Tuesday it would not field the men’s and women’s teams at the Nov 12-27 Games due to prior commitments. The men’s team is due to host New Zealand in November.

BCCI chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said: “We would not be able to send our team, both men and women, for the Asian Games in China because of international commitments. We have communicated the same to the Indian Olympic Association.”

The controversial ‘whereabouts’ clause in the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) had also threatened India’s participation in major multi-discipline event like the Asian Games. The Indian players have rejected the code because the BCCI sees the clause as an infringement on privacy.

Cricket was included in the Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) only after the four Asian Test nations — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — promised to send their best teams to the Games.

“India and Pakistan were the drivers. Asia’s four Test-playing nations have committed to sending their best available teams,” OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah had said while announcing that Twenty20 format would be played at the Guangzhou Games.

With India pulling out, there are grave doubts over Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s participation as well.

Pakistan would play a Test and one-day series against South Africa from Oct 25 to Nov 25, while Sri Lanka will host the West Indies during the same period.