As Ahmedabad gears up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final, an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting has been called in the city on 30 and 31 May. While there could not have been a better occasion than the IPL final to invite the top bosses of all international cricket boards to the city, there is suspense over the attendance of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The ICC is due to hold a quarterly meeting in India, with the chief executives’ committee holding a virtual session on 21 May, which is scheduled to be followed by an in-person meeting.
Originally, the meeting was supposed to happen in March or April in Qatar, but had to be postponed and shifted due to the West Asia conflict. However, with the meeting now taking place in Ahmedabad, Pakistan’s in-person participation is doubtful, sources have told NDTV.
The tensions between India and Pakistan are not new. In fact, the Asia Cup 2025 trophy that India won still lies in Dubai, while Naqvi remains in his office. Hence, it looks unlikely that the PCB chief will cross the border to attend the meeting in Ahmedabad.
The PCB has also received an invitation to attend the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, there is no such confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yet.
Given the current relations between India and Pakistan, it would be a surprise to see Naqvi even seek clearances from the Pakistani government to travel to India.
The BCCI and PCB have been at odds for a while. Recent friction between the two boards involved hosting arrangements and political blockades, including heavy speculation around India’s participation in regional events due to security considerations and the ongoing refusal to engage in bilateral cricket.
Tensions peaked during a highly publicised dispute over the handling of the Asia Cup trophy ceremony, where Indian players reportedly resisted receiving the silverware directly from PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who ultimately decided not to hand them the trophy at all.
While subsequent high-level dialogue on the sidelines of ICC meetings has initiated a cautious cooling-off period to find amicable resolutions, the structural deadlock remains intact.
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