Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi may skip the ongoing ICC Executive Board meeting in Dubai due to what sources described as “domestic political issues.”
The four-day ICC meeting began on Tuesday, and Naqvi was expected to face questions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the Asia Cup trophy presentation controversy. The Indian team had refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi following his anti-India remarks, leading to the silverware remaining locked at the ACC headquarters in Dubai since the final in late September.
A PCB source told reporters that the Board’s Chief Operating Officer, Sumair Syed, will represent Pakistan in the ICC Chief Executives’ meeting. If Naqvi is unable to travel, Syed could also attend the crucial Board meeting on November 7.
“There is also a likelihood of Naqvi joining the meeting remotely,” the source added, without specifying the exact nature of the political issues preventing his travel.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, has reportedly not attended any ICC meetings since Jay Shah’s election as ICC Chairman last year.
Meanwhile, the BCCI is set to raise the issue of the Asia Cup trophy not being formally presented to India. The Board has written to the ACC demanding that the trophy be sent to Mumbai, but Naqvi has maintained that it will only be handed over personally by him to a BCCI representative and a member of the Indian team at a function in Dubai on November 10.
The standoff has caused embarrassment for the ACC, with officials confirming that the trophy “remains in Dubai under lock and key” pending resolution of the matter.