Asia Cup born from insult over just two tickets, World Cup made to be held outside England

At the 1983 World Cup final at Lord's, due to being denied just two tickets, BCCI President N.K.P. Salve resolved to reshape cricket in Asia. Salve formed the ACC with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, after which the first Asia Cup was played in 1984.

Asia Cup History: In the 1983 World Cup, India entered the final by defeating England. At that time, N.K.P. Salve was the President of the BCCI. He received a call from India's High Commissioner to America, Siddhartha Shankar Ray. He requested 2 tickets for the final match for himself and his wife. Salve spoke to the officials about the tickets, but the officials at Lord's Cricket Ground refused, stating, "Two tickets have already been given to you; no more will be provided." On the day of the final match, several seats in a section of the stadium were empty because England was not in the final, and the special guests who were supposed to occupy them did not attend. Despite this, the chief official of the Indian team did not receive two tickets. This was a deeply humiliating experience for Salve.

Decision to Host the World Cup Outside England

At that time, the BCCI did not have much power. England and Australia dominated world cricket. However, in the final match, India defeated the two-time world champions West Indies to win the title for the first time. It was then that Salve decided that the World Cup must be organised outside England. For this, he decided to bring the Asian teams together.

Birth of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC)

Salve shared his plan with the then head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Noor Khan, and brought him on board. A meeting was held in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1983. In this meeting, Pakistan decided to support India's initiative. Following this, another meeting was organised in Delhi, where India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka joined hands, leading to the formation of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). N.K.P. Salve became its first president.

The Beginning of the Asia Cup

England had stated that a 60-over match could not be played in Asia. In response, the ACC decided that they would organise a 50-over tournament. Thus, the ACC decided to organise a tournament among Asian countries. The first Asia Cup was played in Sharjah in 1984, with ACC members India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka participating. India became the champion of this first Asia Cup. Later, countries like Bangladesh and Afghanistan also became part of it, and currently, the ACC has a total of 30 member countries.

World Cup Hosted in Asia Outside England for the First Time

Thanks to N.K.P. Salve's efforts, the Asia Cup was successfully organised. The result of this was that for the first time, the World Cup was organised outside England. The 1987 World Cup was jointly hosted by India and Pakistan.