ISLAMABAD: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi announced on Thursday that the body was holding consultations with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following which the schedule for the upcoming Asia Cup 2026 will be announced “very soon.”
The fate of this year’s Asia Cup, which is to be hosted by India most likely in September, was thrown into uncertainty following the days-long military skirmish between India and Pakistan in May. Bilateral cricket has been suspended since 2013 between the traditional rivals, who play each other only in multi-team events as per an International Cricket Council arrangement.
Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the country’s interior minister, spoke to reporters after presiding over the ACC’s annual general meeting in Dhaka. The ACC chief said all 25 members of the Asian body attended the meeting, some through video link, to discuss cricket in Asia.
“We are in consultations with the BCCI [about Asia Cup schedule] and hopefully we will resolve the [issues] very soon,” Naqvi said in response to a question.
When a reporter asked Naqvi whether the tournament will be held in the UAE, he said the ACC “will announce it soon.”
Naqvi said it was “a normal thing” for most ACC members to attend the meeting virtually, saying it isn’t possible for the various heads of cricket boards to gather in one place due to their varying schedules.
In his opening statement, the ACC chief said the annual general meeting “went very well.”
“We have all decided to work for cricket, none of us was [discussing] politics inside our organization,” Naqvi said.
Cricket matches between India and Pakistan draw in millions of television viewers worldwide and thousands to cricket stadiums around the world. India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy this year and played all their matches, including the March 9 final, in Dubai.
India will host the women’s 50-overs World Cup this year but Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka as per the ICC’s arrangement.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is against playing Pakistan even in neutral venues but will follow whatever the BCCI decided, he said in May.
