Tag: ICC meeting

LAHORE: ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice arrived in Lahore on Tuesday morning on a two-day visit to meet the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) top officials. 

International Cricket Council’s high-ups were received by the Chair of the PCB Management Committee Mr Najam Sethi (also an ICC Director) when they reached the board’s headquarters at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer and other board officials were also present on the occasion.

The visit is believed to be of enormous importance since it came at a time when the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were at odds over the fate of the 2023 Asia Cup.

According to the sources, PCB will discuss the issues related to Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, scheduled in India later this year, with ICC Chairman and CEO in a high-stake meeting.

Matters pertaining to Pakistan’s hosting of the Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will also be discussed.

It is pertinent to mention here that it is the first time Mr Barclay, ICC Chairman, has visited the country. However, Mr Allardice has regularly visited Pakistan, first as ICC General Manager – Cricket and then as ICC Chief Executive.

Mr Barclay is also the first ICC Chairman to tour Pakistan since ICC President Ray Mali’s visit in 2008. This will also be the first time since October 2004 that both the top two ICC officials together visited the Pakistan cricket headquarters.

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LONDON: International Cricket Council (ICC) will discuss Afghanistan’s international status in its upcoming meeting amid the ongoing exile of the country’s women’s cricket team, reported BBC on Thursday. 

According to the news report, Afghanistan women’s side escaped the country after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. They fled to Pakistan before most of them were issued emergency visas to Australia.

As a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Afghanistan ought to have a women’s side in place. The ICC board meeting, taking place on Monday in Dubai, will discuss the matter.

The report suggests that members of the Afghanistan women’s team say they have still had no contact from the sport’s leaders, despite previous appeals for support.

“They wrote to the ICC in December but the global governing body have said it is an issue for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB),” it claimed.

The report added that the women’s players were hoping the ICC would take action to enable them to represent Afghanistan from their base in Australia.

It may be noted here that Afghanistan became a full ICC member in 2017, which comes with an obligation to develop a national women’s team.

However, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) awarded the central contracts to 25 female cricketers for the first time in 2020. 

ACB also received a $ 37 million grant from the iCC to be invested in the development of the game for both men and women.

The contracted female cricketers were paid for the first six months before the Taliban came to power and they stopped receiving their salaries.

After seizing control, the Taliban government banned women from participating in sports, visiting universities and working for NGOs.

In light of the women’s restrictions, Australia pulled out of three-match ODI series against Afghanistan to be played in the United Arab Emirates in March.

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