PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi to attend upcoming ICC meeting despite refusing to travel to Ahmedabad; here's how

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi will not be traveling to Ahmedabad to attend an upcoming International Cricket Council meeting that will be taking place on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League final, but will be making his presence felt regardless.

The ICC Board of Directors meeting was originally scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar in March but was postponed due to USA and Israel's ongoing offensive against Iran in the Middle East. The meeting will now be taking place on 31 May in Ahmedabad, the city that will be hosting the IPL final later this month.

Naqvi not invited for IPL final, would have traveled to Ahmedabad only for ICC meet

According to news agency Press Trust of India, Naqvi wasn't expected to travel to Ahmedabad anyway given strained relations between India and Pakistan as well as between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the PCB. The Pakistani cricket chief, however, will be making his presence felt through video conference, an option offered to those who are not able to attend such meetings in person.

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And contrary to reports, Naqvi was not invited by the BCCI to attend the IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Had he travelled to Ahmedabad, it would have been for the ICC meeting only, and nothing else.

Besides the PCB chief, two more members are likely to attend the ICC board meeting virtually. However, all top administrators across boards are expected to attend the meeting, which will comprise ICC Board Directors as well as Chief Executives, Committee Members and ICC's senior leadership.

Global broadcasting rights is expected to be the most crucial of the topics that will be discussed in the upcoming meeting, with the existing deal between ICC and JioStar set to expire in 2027.

As for the ongoing IPL season, the league stage will be concluding on Sunday, 24 May, with the playoffs getting underway on Tuesday, 26 May. While Ahmedabad has been awarded hosting duties for the final, Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium will be hosting Qualifier 1 while the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium will be hosting the Eliminator and Qualifier 2.