The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket could virtually attend the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) annual general meeting in Dhaka on Thursday following a last-minute patch-up.
Their expected presence at the AGM has also increased hopes of the Asia Cup being held in September. The BCCI has hosting rights for the eight-team tournament, though matches are supposed to be played in the UAE to ensure Pakistan’s presence.
BCCI is likely to be represented by vice-president Rajeev Shukla in the meeting
on Thursday.
Sources told The Telegraph that a consensus was reached to delay the contentious vice-president’s election which has opened the path for the hosting of the Asia Cup. Mubashir Usmani of the UAE (Emirates Cricket Board) and Mahinda Vallipuram of Malaysia are in the fray.
The reserved window for the Asia Cup is September 10 to 28.
An India-Pakistan match generates huge revenue for the Asia Cup and their presence is crucial for the tournament. Both teams are scheduled to meet each other at least twice.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi is also at the helm of affairs of the ACC, which led to a battle of attrition between the two cricketing powers in the region.
The BCCI wanted to shift the venue of the two-day AGM from Dhaka citing political tension in the region but the ACC refused to accede to their request. India had recently postponed next month’s scheduled tour of six limited-overs matches in Bangladesh.
According to the ACC constitution, the presence of at least three permanent (Test playing) members is required to meet the quorum. Pakistan and Bangladesh are understood to have convinced Afghanistan to join hands for the AGM on Thursday.
The ACC has five permanent members — India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka Cricket are learnt to be on the BCCI’s side.
Additionally, the ACC constitution also mandates the presence of at least 10 Associate (non-Test playing) nations for a valid quorum.
As ACC chief, Naqvi had apparently refused to change the venue of the AGM and had lobbied hard to seek support of the Afghanistan board. He even reportedly visited Kabul last week and has managed to attain his goal. It was learnt that an Afghanistan board representative is already in Dhaka.
Naqvi stayed away from the Jay Shah-headed International Cricket Council’s conclave in Singapore last week and attended its board meeting virtually.
It is the first time that Dhaka is hosting such a high-level ACC meeting and Bangladesh Cricket Board’s interim chief Aminul Islam has gone on record saying that they are offering only “logistical support”.
