The president of the Cricket Board of Pakistan (PCB) and president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Mohsin Naqvi, on Thursday praised the positive environment in which the annual general meeting of the Council (AGM) was held and said that the fate of the next Asia Cup would be announced soon.
The meeting, organized by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), is ahead of the Asia Cup tournament, scheduled to be organized by India in September. The tournament remains in Limbo in the middle of the tense ties of India-Pakistan after a military meeting in May.
On Wednesday, Hindustan Times He informed that the Cricket Control Board in India (BCCI), which reverted a previous decision, would virtually attend the annual meeting of the Asian Cricket Council. The BCCI had previously refused to travel to Dhaka, citing tensions with Bangladesh and threatening to boycott the meeting.
The AGM was held today in Dhaka with another 24 members attending.
Going to the media after the meeting, Naqvi said: “The meeting was very good. We have 25 members of ACC and all participated in this meeting”
He thanked all the members who attended the meeting in person and who attended it virtually. “We have all decided to work for Crickt. None of us want politics within any of our organizations and it was a very good meeting in a very good environment,” he added, expressing the hope that such meetings will continue in the future as well.
With respect to the next time of the Asia Cup and its destination, he said: “That will be announced soon. We are in consultation with the BCCI and we will resolve [that matter] coming soon “.
Ask about the lack of participation of India in person, Naqvi minimized the matter, saying: “Several countries could not come to Dhaka. It happens every time you have meetings. I could not go to Singapore because I was stuck, so this is something normal.”
He said all members participated in the meeting. He reiterated that he was hoping that ACC and BCCI will solve their pending problems “and we will also have the Asia Cup.”
A press release issued by the ACC said the meeting was with “100 percent.”
He said the meeting approved the integral calendar of the tournament by 2025-2026, in line with the sustained commitment of the ACC to offer structured development and high quality Crick opportunities in its member countries.
He also announced the inclusion of the Crick in the next 2026 Asian Games that will be held in Japan, which would see the participation of 10 teams of men and eight) throughout the continent, which will be chosen according to their classifications.
The organization also welcomed three new nations, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and the Philippines, as members, “extending the scope of sport to new and emerging Cricket regions.”
The Council and the members also reaffirmed their support for the development and promotion of Asian Cricket “while always putting the first Crick.”
The meeting was postponed with the members “reiterating their joint commitment to a prospective vision; one that encourages excellence, inclusion and expands the scope of the game throughout the continent.”
NAQVI asks Asian nations to “put aside political differences” for the good of the Cricket
When addressing a reception organized by the BCB above, Naqvi said in an apparent reference to the ongoing situation: “It is not just that it is here; it is a team, as we discuss, that we need to work as a team. We need to put aside all our political differences and work only for Cricket.”
The president of PCB added: “It is a family of Cricket nations, where we all need to support and strengthen ourselves.
He stressed that he wanted all member teams to have stronger players to present a stronger competition, paving the way for a stronger market for Crick events in Asia.
“As president of ACC, I can assure you that we will do whatever it is necessary for this body to be the strongest body for the Asian Games,” he said, adding that it was important to expand the Cricket in other countries.
It has not yet been decided whether Pakistan Visit India for the Asia Cup or a hybrid model, similar to that adopted for international events of the Cricket Council, has not yet been decided.
However, taking into account that the BCCI and the PCB are not interested in playing in the places of the other, particularly after the 2024 hybrid model, the EAU have become a favorite to organize the latest edition of the Asia Cup.
Last night, the BCB also organized a dinner for the ACC delegations and the Pakistani team. The president of PCB thanked the associated members of the Council and the president of BCB, Aminul Islam, for his hospitality during his speech at the meeting.
“He worked day and night for this to happen,” Naqvi said. “I really want to receive it in Pakistan.”
Pakistan, Bangladesh joins to boost the development of Cricket, referee and youth
Naqvi also met with Bangladesh Youth and Sports Minister, the local government and rural development such as Mahmood for a friendly and prospective discussion.
The two leaders talked about working together to promote Cricket, train referees and create more opportunities for young people in both countries.
The conversations resulted in a broad agreement to strengthen bilateral cooperation in sports, particularly Cricket, and the development of burning and youthful participation programs.
The two parties agreed to sign a formal memorandum of understanding between the PCB and the Cricket Board of Bangladesh (BCB) to promote Cricket and institutionalize training programs.
Naqvi invited Bangladesh’s referees to Pakistan for professional training, which underlines Pakistan’s disposition to share technical experience and resources for regional sports development.
He focused special on improving female Cricket, and both ministers agreed to develop joint initiatives aimed at promoting female athletes in both countries.
In addition to sports, the agenda extended to the construction of youth skills, employment generation and educational cooperation. Discussions included scholarship opportunities, higher education exchange programs and experience exchange in educational reforms.
The ministers also explored collaboration in renewable energy, particularly solar energy innovation, marking a growing interest in sustainable technology exchanges.
NAQVI also introduced Pakistan’s safe identity infrastructure, highlighting the success and technological advance of the National Registry and Database Authority.
Mahmood expressed great interest in Pakistan’s identity management systems and welcomed an invitation for a Bangladesh delegation to visit Nadra. A high -level Bangladesh delegation is expected to visit Pakistan in the near future to follow this collaboration.
Emphasizing demographic parallels between the two nations, Naqvi declared that young people constituted most of both populations. “By investing in sports, skills and education, we can create lasting opportunities for our young people,” he said.
The meeting indicated a shared commitment to deepen multifaceted ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh, particularly in sports diplomacy and youth development.
