 "PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is likely to face the wrath of the Mithun Manhas-led BCCI at the ICC Board meeting, even if he ends up skipping it. Image: AP/PTI")
The high-voltage drama between Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the Board of Control for Cricket in India over the Asia Cup trophy could arrive at its conclusion or escalate even further at the International Cricket Council meetings that are currently underway in Dubai.
Ahead of the Board meeting at the ICC headquarters in Dubai on Friday, which will involve the heads of all the member boards, there are reports that suggest PCB chief Naqvi could give the meeting a miss due to his political commitments as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
The ICC meeting, after all, is coinciding with a Senate session in Islamabad where the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan government is set to table the 27th Amendment . Being Pakistan’s Interior Minister in addition to his cricketing responsibilities, Naqvi is expected to attend the Senate session and is unlikely to attend the ICC meeting via video link.
Chief Operating Officer of PCB Sumair Syed had attended the ICC executives’ meeting on Wednesday, and could attend the crucial Board meet as well if Naqvi fails to show up.
BCCI planning major step against PCB chief at ICC Board meeting
The BCCI, on the other hand, is planning to corner Naqvi over his dual role as a senior cricket administrator as well as a politician currently part of the Pakistani Federal Cabinet.
And as per a report on Telecom Asia Sport, the Mithun Manhas-led board has “compiled a list of charges against Mohsin Naqvi” over his dual role, which they believe violates the ICC’s governance rules.
The Indian board could also seek to initiate a process that leads to Naqvi’s ouster from the ICC Board. It’s worth noting that former BCCI secretary Jay Shah currently heads the ICC, while the Afghanistan Cricket Board has pledged support to the BCCI in its ongoing standoff against the PCB.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNaqvi is also believed to have sought legal advice ahead of the ICC meeting, expecting stringent action from the BCCI – the world’s richest and most powerful cricket board.
Naqvi, who is also the current president of the Asian Cricket Council, has been at loggerheads with the BCCI ever since the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup winners’ trophy and medals from him after winning the continental event in September.
Naqvi not only took the trophy with him to his hotel room after the conclusion of the post-match presentation ceremony in the Asia Cup final, he has also been stalling the BCCI’s efforts to secure possession of the silverware that rightfully belongs to the Men in Blue.
Naqvi even went to the extent of locking the trophy up at the ACC’s Dubai headquarters, asking the BCCI to send a representative along with a player to come and collect the silverware.