ACC Archives

ACC proposes Dubai ceremony after BCCI demands Asia Cup trophy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially written to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, seeking the handover of the Asia Cup 2025 trophy nearly a month after the conclusion of the tournament, sources confirmed.

According to insiders, the ACC has responded to the Indian board’s request and proposed that the trophy presentation take place in Dubai during the first week of November.

“If you want the trophy, we can hold a ceremony where you can receive it,” the ACC reportedly told the BCCI.

The unusual situation stems from India’s decision not to collect their winners’ medals and trophy following their triumph in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan on September 29 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

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The stand-off reportedly began after members of the Indian team declined to accept the silverware from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

Despite India’s stance, the ACC has maintained its position, with sources suggesting that President Naqvi is unwilling to make any exceptions or alter standard presentation protocols.

India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final, chasing down a 147-run target in 19.4 overs after bowling out the Men in Green for 146 runs in 19.1 overs.

READ: Abbas Afridi to lead Pakistan in Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2025

ACC revises match timings for Asia Cup 2025

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has announced changes to the playing hours for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, adjusting the schedule in response to weather concerns and to accommodate fans better.

According to the revised match timings, all Asia Cup 2025 games, with one exception, will begin at 6:30 PM local time in the UAE (7:30 PM Pakistan Standard Time), instead of the previously planned start time of 6:00 PM.

The only exception is the match on September 15 between the UAE and Oman in Abu Dhabi, which will commence at 4:30 PM local time.

The second match on that same day, featuring Sri Lanka versus Hong Kong in Dubai, will start at 6:30 PM.

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The ACC explained that the rescheduling is aimed at ensuring more favourable playing conditions and improving the match-day experience for spectators, particularly on days featuring back-to-back games.

This year’s Asia Cup, the 15th edition of the men’s event, will be staged in the T20 format with eight participating nations: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, UAE, and Hong Kong.

Pakistan and India headline Group A alongside hosts UAE and Oman, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.

The tournament will kick off on September 9 with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Schedule, match timings of ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025

Tuesday, 9 September – Afghanistan vs Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm
Wednesday, 10 September – India vs United Arab Emirates, Dubai – 6:30pm
Thursday, 11 September – Bangladesh vs Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm
Friday, 12 September – Pakistan vs Oman, Dubai – 6:30pm
Saturday, 13 September – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm
Sunday, 14 September – India vs Pakistan, Dubai – 6:30pm
Monday, 15 September – UAE vs Oman, Abu Dhabi – 4:00pm
Monday, 15 September – Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong, Dubai – 6:30pm
Tuesday, 16 September – Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm
Wednesday, 17 September – Pakistan vs UAE, Dubai – 6:30pm
Thursday, 18 September – Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm
Friday, 19 September – India vs Oman, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm

Super Four Stage:

Saturday, 20 September – B1 vs B2, Dubai – 6:30pm
Sunday, 21 September – A1 vs A2, Dubai – 6:30pm
Tuesday, 23 September – A2 vs B1, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm
Wednesday, 24 September – A1 vs B2, Dubai – 6:30pm
Thursday, 25 September – A2 vs B2, Dubai – 6:30pm
Friday, 26 September – A1 vs B1, Dubai – 6:30pm

Sunday, 28 September – Final, Dubai – 6:30pm

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ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi urges members to keep politics out of cricket

DHAKA: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi has urged all member boards to put aside political differences and unite for the greater good of cricket in the region.

Speaking during the ACC annual meeting in Dhaka on Thursday, Naqvi stressed that the future of Asian cricket depends on collective effort and mutual cooperation.

“We need to work as a team for the growth of cricket. Political differences should not come in the way of the sport’s progress,” he said.

“This is a cricket family, and we need to support each other to achieve success.”

The ACC chief underlined that building stronger teams across Asia was crucial to increasing the sport’s competitiveness and commercial value.

“Stronger teams will lead to better contests, and better contests will create a stronger market,” Naqvi noted.

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“We need to explore ways to make the ACC more robust and help our associate members.”

Mohsin Naqvi also emphasised the importance of giving associate nations the tools and support they need to raise their standard of cricket, which in turn will elevate the overall quality of ACC events.

He concluded by thanking the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for successfully hosting the meeting and acknowledged the efforts of all board representatives who travelled to Dhaka.

“This meeting would not have been possible without the support of the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” he said.

“I am hopeful that we will continue to work together for the betterment of cricket.”

READ: Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE tri-nation series talks enter final phase: reports

ACC to hold meeting in Dhaka despite India’s opposition: sources

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has reportedly called its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on July 24 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, despite the opposition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

This will be the first ACC meeting in Bangladesh in several years, but uncertainty looms as India and Sri Lanka have reportedly raised concerns over the venue and suggested a change.

According to the sources, the notice for the meeting has already been sent to all member boards, with ACC President Mohsin Naqvi himself summoning the meeting.

However, both the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have reportedly requested the ACC to shift the venue, citing logistical and political concerns.

Despite the objections, the meeting is still likely to take place in Dhaka, with the ACC providing member boards with a 15-day advance notice to make necessary arrangements.

In case any member board is unable to attend the meeting, an online participation option has also been made available.

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“Online meetings are a global norm now, even ACC and ICC have held several of them in the past,” a source from the ACC noted.

Significantly, the Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I series will also be underway in Dhaka during the same period, with representatives from various ACC member nations expected to be present in the city.

This overlapping schedule may have also influenced the decision to retain Dhaka as the host city.

Meanwhile, preparations for the ACC Asia Cup 2025 are in motion, with the UAE emerging as the likely host.

As per the proposed schedule, the tournament is expected to run from September 5 to 21, though final confirmation remains pending.

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Mohsin Naqvi set to replace Jay Shah as ACC president

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi is set to become the new president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for a two-year tenure, according to sources.

The reports indicate that Pakistan has been authorized to chair the ACC and Mohsin Naqvi is set to assume the role in January 2025. The decision was made during the ACC meeting held in Bali in January 2024.

Meanwhile, the current president of ACC Jay Shah was given an extension of a one-year, with his tenure concluding in January 2025.

For the unversed, Mohsin Naqvi currently holds two key positions in Pakistan as he is not only PCB chairman but the Interior Minister as well.

Meanwhile, India is set to host the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to be played in T20 format while Bangladesh will host the event in ODI format in 2027.

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Both editions of the Men’s Asia Cup will feature a total of six teams Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and a sixth team which will be finalized after the completion of the qualifying event.

The development was confirmed when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) issued the Invitation for Expressions of Interest (IEOI) for the sponsorship rights document on Saturday.

The letter extends an invitation to interested parties to submit an IEOI for ACC Sponsorship Rights between 2024 and 2027.

The document further highlighted that all information is provisional and subject to change at the ACC’s sole discretion without responsibility, including timetables, dates, formats, and locations.

Notably, the official schedule of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 has not been finalized yet while it is expected that the six-team tournament will be played in September next year after the monsoon season ends in the country.

READ: “Babar is defensive while Shan looks to attack”: Aamer Jamal on captaincy

Asia Cup to kick off from August 27 in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has announced that the Asia Cup 2022 will be held in Sri Lanka from August 27 to September 11. The tournament will be played in the T20I format.

In a meeting of the ACC officials here, the cricket council has decided to hold the upcoming Asia Cup in T20 format. Whereas, Sri Lanka will be hosting the mega event. However, the schedule of the tournament will be announced later.

Taking to Twitter, the ACC shared the details of the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled later this year.

The Asia Cup 2022 (T20 Format) will be held in Sri Lanka from 27 August – 11 September later this year. The Qualifiers for the same will be played 20 August 2022 onwards.

— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) March 19, 2022

Furthermore, Jay Shah was unanimously approved as the President of the ACC till 2024. Whereas, the cricket council have also rewarded Qatar with ACC Full Member status.

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