The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Saturday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will decide whether PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi travels to India for upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings. The global cricket body has invited Naqvi to attend meetings in Ahmedabad, a PCB spokesperson said.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's interior minister, received an invitation from the ICC. The spokesperson stated, "The decision on whether the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board will travel or not travel to Ahmedabad to attend the ICC meeting will be made by the PCB's patron-in-chief, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif." The ICC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Background of cricketing ties
The invitation comes against the backdrop of strained cricketing relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since 2008. Matches between the two sides have been limited to multinational tournaments at neutral venues under ICC-facilitated arrangements in recent years.
This pattern of neutral-venue encounters was adopted during the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled for 2025, when India declined to travel to Pakistan. Consequently, India's matches involving Pakistan were played at a neutral venue under a hybrid arrangement agreed by the ICC and participating boards, ensuring the two sides would not play on each other's home soil.
Details of the ICC meetings
According to media reports, the ICC's next round of meetings will begin virtually on May 21, followed by in-person sessions in Ahmedabad on May 30-31. The agenda is expected to include discussions on the next cycle of the World Test Championship and broader governance and financial matters. The meetings are scheduled at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which previously hosted matches during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, including the final.
Reports also suggest ICC delegates may attend the Indian Premier League (IPL) final, scheduled for May 31 at the same venue, although this has not been officially confirmed. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Geo TV, citing sources, said the PCB chairman has been invited to attend both the board meeting and the IPL final in Ahmedabad later this month.
