ICC postpones Doha board meeting amid ongoing Middle East conflict

The meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC), scheduled to be held from March 25-27 in Doha, Qatar, has been postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The meeting is now expected to be reconvened sometime in April, although a new date has not yet been announced.

The postponement became unavoidable given the escalating situation in the region. A formal communication was sent to ICC members on Saturday, a day before the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad. The ICC is reportedly exploring alternative venues within the continent to host the meeting.

The gathering was intended to bring together ICC Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee Members, and senior leadership as part of the organisation’s regular governance schedule. It was expected to provide an important platform to discuss key matters concerning the present and future of global cricket.

In a release issued on February 22, the ICC had stated that Doha was chosen as the venue due to the organisation’s increasing engagement with cricket in Qatar and the country’s broader sporting ecosystem.

"The ICC's support of and collaboration with the Qatar Cricket Association and Olympic Committee, Cricket in Qatar has fuelled remarkable progress for the sport in recent years," the ICC had said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Meanwhile, several officials from the ICC are expected to be in Ahmedabad, the home city of ICC chairman Jay Shah. With New Zealand playing the final, it is learnt that Roger Twose, chairman of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), will be present at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night.

Tavengwa Mukuhlani, chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), and Dr Mohammed Moosajee, chairman of Cricket South Africa (CSA), are also expected to attend, along with several other board representatives.

However, there is no immediate confirmation about the attendance of Aminul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). He is believed to be in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), will not be present.