The standoff surrounding the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting appears to have eased, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirming its virtual participation in the meeting being held in Dhaka. Earlier, the BCCI had threatened to boycott the gathering, which is being chaired by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi.
One of the key agenda items will be deciding the venue for the upcoming Asia Cup T20, which the BCCI is set to host. The UAE has emerged as a strong contender, with its established cricket infrastructure in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Sri Lanka is also in consideration, especially since India has ruled out travelling to Bangladesh.
An ACC source told PTI,
“BCCI will be represented virtually by its vice-president Rajeev Shukla, who is the designated ACC board member. Since the venue with regards to Asia Cup needs to be zeroed in on, BCCI decided to attend the meeting virtually.”
The BCCI had previously urged the ACC to shift the venue, citing political instability and a lack of governance in Bangladesh. The uncertainty also led to India putting its scheduled August tour of Bangladesh on hold.
There had been speculation that the BCCI, along with Afghanistan Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket, might skip the meeting altogether. Their absence would have meant no quorum, effectively nullifying the meeting’s proceedings. However, with BCCI now participating virtually, the meeting is expected to move forward.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is already in Dhaka, along with officials from several other member nations. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has clarified its limited role in hosting the meeting.
A BCB official told PTI,
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board is merely a facilitator for the meeting. We are only providing logistical support. We have kept a liaison officer who is coordinating with representatives of member nations, arranging for their travel and stay.”
With BCCI’s involvement back on the table, a final decision on the Asia Cup venue could be imminent.
