Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and current head of the Asian Cricket Council, was set to arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday night to chair a crucial ACC meeting. With political tensions escalating between India and Pakistan, doubts swirl around Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming Asia Cup, slated for September in India. The outcome of this meeting could shape the future of the tournament.
Adding to the doubt, “No official of the BCCI will visit Bangladesh to attend the ACC meeting. There are also media reports that Afghanistan, Oman, and Sri Lanka may also not attend,”- according to the reports.
Despite the Asia Cup still being regarded as one of the biggest cricket tournaments in the region, tense relations between the two South Asian neighbours- especially following a recent military confrontation in May- have put the future of the tournament in jeopardy.
In response, the BCCI has reportedly been uneasy with the existing meeting location, citing tensions in India-Bangladesh political relations. They proposed shifting the meeting’s venue, but the ACC has decided to proceed with Dhaka for now.
Right in the middle of debate is- whether Pakistan will cross over to India to take part, or if a different solution—a hybrid model—will be utilised. This approach, applied previously in ICC matches, sees competing countries such as Pakistan and India host their games at neutral grounds rather than on home soil.
As the cricketing universe awaits a final ruling, the fate of one of Asia’s most awaited sporting activities may be decided by this ACC meeting.