Latest news with #Naqvi
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First Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Asia Cup 2025 meeting to go ahead as planned after BCCI reportedly makes U-turn
After much uncertainty and a reported initial boycott by the BCCI, it is now being said that the Indian cricket board has agreed to attend the Asian Cricket Council meeting virtually, where the Asia Cup 2025 could be finalised. read more In a late twist, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to attend the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will take place in Dhaka on July 24 and 25, after initially threatening to boycott the meeting over the venue selection. The ACC is currently chaired by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) head Mohsin Naqvi, and the BCCI was seen as unwilling to participate in a meeting in Bangladesh. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While the ACC AGM is expected to take a final call on the Asia Cup 2025, the future of which has looked uncertain since the Pahalgam terror attack, BCCI reportedly did not want to attend a meeting in Dhaka due to worsening relations between India and Bangladesh. The BCCI also recently postponed Team India's white-ball tour to Bangladesh from August 2025 to next year. More from First Cricket India insert healthy dollop of chaos on throwback day of Test cricket at Old Trafford BCCI to attend Asia Cup meeting virtually It was also reported that the boards of Sri Lanka and Afghanistan were ready to boycott the Dhaka meeting in support of the BCCI, but in a late twist on Wednesday, the Indian cricket board decided to attend the ACC AGM, albeit virtually. 'Yes, we have decided to attend the meeting virtually,' a BCCI source told Hindustan Times. Another BCCI source confirmed the same to the newspaper The Hindu, ' BCCI will act as a big brother and attend the tournament virtually,' he said. As per media reports, BCCI tried to make countries like Afghanistan and Oman skip the ACC AGM, which would have resulted in a l ack of a quorum at the meeting, but Naqvi ensured that wasn't an issue after meeting other boards. This should be seen as a big win for the PCB as they have managed to bring together enough boards needed as per the ACC constitution for a meeting to be held legally. As per a report in Cricbuzz, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan Super League (PSL) CEO Salman Naseer have already arrived in Dhaka for the meeting along with other ACC members. The officials from the Afghanistan board are expected to arrive on 24 July. The ACC AGM will start at 2 PM local time (1.30 PM IST) in Dhaka. Asia Cup most likely to go ahead as planned ACC AGM is likely to take a final decision on the Asia Cup 2025. The tournament schedule and other important details are expected to be confirmed during the meeting in Dhaka. The reserved window for the Asia Cup 2025 is 10 to 28 September. It is expected to be hosted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite India being the designated hosts. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chairman Aminul Islam has tried to stay away from the controversy, saying they are only playing the part of a host. 'The ACC is an organisation that operates with five full members from Asia and 25 associate countries. The ACC asked us whether we wanted to host the AGM and we agreed to it. This is an ACC programme, and we will only provide logistical support,' he was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We are in touch with the ACC, who is informing us who is coming and who is not, as we have to make arrangements for airport pick-ups, hotel bookings and other support.'
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan, Bangladesh agree to relax visa rules
Listen to article In a significant step towards strengthening bilateral ties, Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed in principle to allow visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports. The breakthrough was achieved during a high-level meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh's Home Minister Lieutenant General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury in Dhaka on Wednesday. Naqvi, who is also head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is in Dhaka to attend the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). On the sidelines, he held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart as part of ongoing efforts by the two sides to reset their ties. Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have seen a positive turnaround since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wajid government in August 2023. Following the end of 15-year Awami League rule, Pakistan and Bangladesh stepped up efforts to restore their bilateral ties. There have been increased bilateral exchanges between the two sides. The visit of Naqvi was the latest example of those increased interactions. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also supposed to visit Dhaka in late April but tensions between Pakistan and India led to the delay in the landmark trip. The decision by the two sides to allow visa free entry to those who hold diplomatic and official passports is seen as significant step. During the Hasina government, Pakistani diplomat had to face increase scrutiny and surveillance. Pakistani exports to Dhaka also faced non tarrif barriers. But those restrictions have been lifted by the interim Bangladesh government. A statement issued here by the interior ministry said, the Bangladeshi Home Minister extended a warm welcome to his Pakistani counterpart, who was presented with a guard of honour upon his arrival at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Describing the visit as "of great significance for strengthening bilateral relations," Chowdhury thanked Minister Naqvi for offering training opportunities for Bangladeshi police officers. During the talks, both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in internal security, police training, counter-narcotics, anti-human trafficking, and counter-terrorism efforts. Exchange programs between police academies of the two countries were also discussed. It was decided to establish a joint committee to further boost bilateral cooperation, which will be headed by Pakistan's Federal Secretary for Interior, Khurram Agha. Additionally, a high-level Bangladeshi delegation will soon visit the National Police Academy in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by Bangladesh's State Minister for Home Affairs Khuda Bakhsh, Secretary for Home Affairs Nasim Al-Ghani, Additional Secretary Security Division Shamim Khan, Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires Muhammad Wasif, Political Counsellor Kamran Dehingal, and other senior officials.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Naqvi arrives in Dhaka for ACC meeting
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday to chair the Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) Annual General Meeting. The high-level meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Dhaka. Upon his arrival at the airport, Naqvi, who currently serves as President of the ACC, was warmly received by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan. According to sources, the ACC will host a formal dinner in Dhaka later today in honour of the officials and dignitaries attending the event. Meanwhile, the fate of the Asia Cup cricket tournament, scheduled for September, is set to be decided during a crucial Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Dhaka. However, the tournament faces uncertainty as political tensions and internal lobbying threaten its execution. According to sources, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is allegedly making concerted efforts to derail the event, a move that could cost the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over PKR 1.25 billion in revenue. These developments are also being seen as an attempt to undermine Mohsin Naqvi, PCB Chairman and current President of the ACC. Reports suggest that India, along with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, has aligned against the decision to hold the ACC meeting in Dhaka. Under ACC rules, a quorum for such meetings requires the participation of at least three full Test-playing member nations and at least ten full or associate members. With key boards refusing to travel or even attend via video link, the quorum may not be met, rendering the meeting legally invalid. India, despite being the official host of the Asia Cup, has objected to Dhaka as the venue for this meeting. The BCCI has not confirmed whether it will attend the meeting in person or virtually, casting further doubt on the finalisation of the tournament's schedule and host nation.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Asia Cup meeting may not hold up legally; Bangladesh caught in crossfire as PCB makes last-ditch effort: Report
The venue of the Asia Cup meeting has triggered an India vs Pakistan standoff in the cricketing world, with the PCB adamant about holding the Asian Cricket Council AGM in Dhaka. However, they may not receive enough support. read more The venue for the upcoming Asia Cup meeting has become the new battleground for India and Pakistan. Image: PTI With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) enjoying the support of major Test-playing nations like Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, there's a high chance the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for 24 and 25 July in Dhaka, Bangladesh, may not hold any legal value. The ACC meeting is expected to deliver a solution on the Asia Cup 2025 standoff. There have been question marks over the future of the Asia Cup 2025 since the Pahalgam terror attack. Cricket fans in India have been demanding a boycott of all matches against Pakistan and it also led to the cancellation of the India vs Pakistan match last week in the World Championship of Legends (WCL). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Asia Cup meeting to fail legal test? Nonetheless, BCCI has communicated to ACC that the venue for the meeting needs to be shifted away from Bangladesh due to India's deteriorating relationship with the country. They have also postponed the ODI series to Bangladesh in August 2025 to next year. The ACC, which is currently chaired by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) head Mohsin Naqvi, is reportedly adamant about holding the ACGM in Dhaka, but they may not have enough members attending the meeting. As per a report in Cricbuzz, the ACC constitution states that at least 10 full or Associate members (non-Test playing nations) need to be part of the AGM for a valid quorum, which may not be possible as Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are also ready to boycott the meeting. Nepal, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar are remaining full members of ACC. The Associate members include Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, Tajikistan, Maldives, Japan, Iran, China, Myanmar and Indonesia. As per Cricbuzz, Oman, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar and Indonesia may also skip the meeting. PCB makes last-ditch effort The report further adds that PCB's Naqvi was in Kabul on Sunday in an attempt to persuade Afghanistan to attend the ACC meeting, but the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has assured BCCI that they will boycott the AGM in Dhaka. BCCI's refusal, meanwhile, has become a major issue for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), where one faction has even asked Aminul Islam, the BCB president, to cancel the meeting. 'Bulbul (Aminul) was requested to cancel the meeting as some of the board directors were not ready to do anything that can hurt the BCCI but the president insisted that he had given his word so cannot return back after giving his words to PCB,' a BCB source told Cricbuzz.
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
BCCI may boycott ACC meet in Dhaka
Bengaluru, July 21 (UNI) In a dramatic escalation that could reshape the Asian cricketing calendar, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has warned of pulling out of the upcoming Asia Cup if the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) goes ahead with its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dhaka on July 24-25. The standoff, centred on the venue of the ACC meet, threatens to trigger a governance crisis within the ACC and casts serious doubt over the fate of the Asia Cup, scheduled for September in the UAE. Media reports indicate that the BCCI, backed by Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, is strongly opposed to holding the AGM in Dhaka under the chairmanship of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi. The Indian board has insisted that a neutral venue be considered, failing which it may not only boycott the AGM but also the Asia Cup itself. This move has turned a routine administrative meeting into a major flashpoint in cricket geopolitics. The BCCI, as the designated host of the Asia Cup, is unlikely to be severely impacted by Pakistan's absence. However, a potential Indian pullout could cripple the tournament's commercial and broadcast viability, posing a severe challenge for the ACC. The legitimacy of the ACC AGM is also in question. As per ACC's constitution, a quorum requires the participation of at least three out of five permanent (Test-playing) members - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. With India, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan reportedly skipping the Dhaka meeting, the quorum will be incomplete. Further complications arise from the requirement that at least ten full or Associate members attend. But uncertainty looms over the participation of countries like Oman, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, and Indonesia, making it unlikely the quorum threshold will be met. At the heart of the crisis is PCB Chairman and ACC President Naqvi's firm stance on Dhaka as the host city. Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's Interior Minister, was in Kabul over the weekend in an effort to gain Afghanistan's support. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) reportedly assured India that they would not attend the Dhaka meeting. India's firm stance is also driven by recent diplomatic tensions with Pakistan. The BCCI had earlier cancelled a six-match white-ball series scheduled for next month, citing political sensitivities. This growing strain is now spilling over into multilateral platforms like the ACC. Caught in the middle is the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which agreed to host the AGM at Pakistan's request. Publicly, the BCB has maintained that it is an internal matter for the ACC. However, insiders say the interim BCB chief Aminul Islam may have underestimated the implications. The developments in Dhaka have also revived memories of a recent incident in Birmingham, where Indian cricket legends refused to play a veterans' match against Pakistan due to the presence of Shahid Afridi, underscoring how cricket continues to reflect diplomatic undercurrents. As the clock ticks down to the Dhaka meeting, uncertainty clouds both the AGM and the Asia Cup. Whether diplomacy or defiance wins out in the coming days could shape the future of Asian cricket in more ways than one. UNI BDN SSP
