The current Chief of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Jay Shah, is set to assume the role of the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the 1st of December this year. This means that his role as the Chair of ACC will have to be fulfilled by someone else, to avoid conflict of interest as well as to manage the workload. That someone else, reportedly, will be none other than the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) incumbent Chairperson, Mohsin Naqvi.
Although it has not been announced officially, the reports claim that the ACC members will confirm the news during the upcoming Board members’ meeting later this year. The decision was made during the ACC meeting in Indonesia in January 2024. A source revealed that the PCB Chief will take the reigns from Jay Shah as soon as he assumes his office as ICC Chairman,
“When the ACC meets later this year, it will confirm that Naqvi will be the next president for a two-year term… When [Jay] Shah steps down, the PCB chief will take over,”
Jay Shah, who is also the honorary secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was elected unopposed as the President of ICC a few days ago without an election since no one was nominated as a candidate for the position. Earlier this year in January, Jay Shah was provided a one-year extension. Naqvi, who also heads Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, will be hired as the President for two years. The PCB Chief already faces criticism for holding two important positions within the country, and heading another governing position will undoubtedly raise a fair few eyebrows.
During his tenure as the Chief, he will organize Asian mega-events including the upcoming Asia Cup in India in 2025, which will be played in T20I format. Besides this and other cricket activities in the continent, he will also oversee the arrangements of the ODI format Asia Cup 2027 in Bangladesh.
The presidency position is awarded as per a rotation policy between the members of the ACC. This is to ensure that every member gets equal representation. Mohsin Naqvi will be the tenth Pakistani to preside over this continental cricket body. The last time a Pakistani was the Head of ACC was in 2018 when Ehsan Mani held the office. Before Jay Shah, Bangladesh’s Nazmul Hassan oversaw the duties as the Head.
An official announcement will be made during the next ACC meeting which will take place in October-November this year. Naqvi’s term will begin in January 2025.
The animosity between Pakistan and India is not news to anyone. The political strain that both nations share ignited the cricket passion a thousandfold. It merits mention here that India have still not made a decision apropos to visiting Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Reports suggest that Pakistan might pull out of the upcoming Asia Cup in 2025, should India refuse to play Champions Trophy in Pakistan. It would be interesting to see how Mohsin Naqvi, as a premier, will go about this conundrum next year.
