The Asian Cricket Council meets in Dhaka on Thursday, and the long-running uncertainty over this year’s Asia Cup finally looks set for a verdict. India, still holding the tournament’s hosting rights, will be represented by Rajeev Shukla, but only through a video link. Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi has already arrived in the city, while Sri Lanka Cricket was, at the time of writing, still weighing up whether to send a delegate in person or log on from Colombo.
Afghanistan and Oman, initially rumoured to be absent, have confirmed they will turn up; Nepal will follow India’s lead and join online. The United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be physically present, giving the meeting a curious hybrid feel.
Key question – where, or even if, the eight-team event takes place. On paper the UAE is down to stage the matches in September, yet the BCCI retains official hosting rights. The political chill that followed May’s India-Pakistan military flare-up has left the schedule hanging, and board officials from several countries admit privately they need clarity soon to sort out visas, logistics and broadcast deals.
For Bangladesh, this AGM carries extra significance. It is the first time the Bangladesh Cricket Board has staged an ACC gathering of this stature, though BCB president Aminul Islam was quick to downplay any grand claims:
“We agreed with the ACC to organise this year’s AGM,” Aminul said on Tuesday. “It is an ACC programme. We are providing them with logistical support. That’s all we are doing. 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.”
Aminul and chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury greeted Naqvi at Dhaka airport on Wednesday afternoon. A gala dinner is pencilled in for the evening, with formal sessions scheduled over the next two days in a downtown hotel.
While no-one is betting the house on a unanimous solution, most board representatives accept a decision can’t be pushed back much further. Commercial partners are growing uneasy, and coaches are already sketching out World Cup preparations. As one senior administrator put it quietly in the hotel lobby, “We’ve been circling this thing for weeks. Time to land the plane.”
Even so, a fallback option – another short Twenty20 tri-series – has been floated should diplomatic or security concerns persist. By Friday evening, players and fans alike should have a clearer picture, even if the final arrangements still need stitching together.
