Mohsin Naqvi invited to Ahmedabad

Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister, has been invited to the International Cricket Council’s next round of meetings in Ahmedabad later this month, according to multiple reports published on May 16. The meetings are scheduled around the weekend of the Indian Premier League final, with the in-person ICC Board session set for May 30 and May 31 in the same city, reports said. Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is due to stage the IPL 2026 final on May 31, placing cricket governance business and one of the sport’s biggest domestic events on the same weekend. Reports in India and Pakistan differed on whether Naqvi might travel, but one account citing PTI said he was expected to attend the Board meeting by video conference rather than in person. ### Which meetings are actually scheduled in Ahmedabad? Geo TV-based reports carried by Indian outlets said the ICC’s Chief Executives Committee meeting is scheduled for May 21 and will be held virtually, while the formal ICC Board meeting is slated for May 30 and May 31 in Ahmedabad. The same reports said the meetings are part of the ICC’s quarterly governance calendar and are expected to include Board directors, chief executives, committee members and senior leadership. (hindustantimes.com) March 25 to 27 was the original window for the meetings in Doha, according to reports that cited earlier ICC planning. Those reports said the Doha gathering was postponed because of tensions in West Asia, and the meetings were later moved to Ahmedabad. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### Was Naqvi invited to the IPL final itself, or only the ICC meeting? PTI-based reporting published by Hindustan Times said Naqvi was not expected to travel to India for the IPL final and that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had not separately invited him to attend the match. That report said any invitation extended to Naqvi would have been in line with ICC protocol for the Board meeting, not as a guest for the final itself. (hindustantimes.com) Geo TV-based reports, as carried by Economic Times, said Naqvi had received an invitation covering the upcoming ICC Board meeting and the IPL final in Ahmedabad. Times Now, citing Geo Super and external reports, said claims of an invitation to the final could not be independently verified. The reporting across outlets is consistent on one point: Naqvi was included in the circulation for the ICC meeting as the PCB’s representative. (hindustantimes.com) ### Is Naqvi expected to travel to India? Hindustan Times reported on May 16 that Naqvi would attend the ICC Board of Directors meeting through video conference, citing a PTI report and saying the virtual option is an existing provision for member representatives unable to travel. The same report said two other members were also expected to join remotely. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Economic Times, citing Geo TV, reported that Naqvi had forwarded the invitation to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a decision on whether he would travel to India. That account described his participation as uncertain given the political relationship between India and Pakistan and the history of friction between their cricket boards. (hindustantimes.com) ### Why does the Ahmedabad timing matter? May 31 is the date on which Ahmedabad is already due to host the IPL 2026 final at Narendra Modi Stadium, according to ICC reporting on the tournament schedule and multiple media reports on the Board meeting. That means the city is expected to host senior ICC administrators and the IPL’s title match on the same weekend. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The agenda itself is also significant. Hindustan Times said global broadcasting rights were expected to be a major topic because the ICC’s deal with JioStar is due to expire in 2027, while Economic Times said the meetings would resume discussions on the future structure and direction of the World Test Championship. Those are the issues the reports identified as likely to be before administrators in Ahmedabad. (icc-cricket.com) ### What should readers watch next? May 21 is the next dated checkpoint, with the Chief Executives Committee scheduled to meet virtually, according to reports carried by Economic Times and MSN. The in-person Board meeting is then scheduled for May 30 and May 31 in Ahmedabad, the same weekend as the IPL final at Narendra Modi Stadium. (hindustantimes.com) Any confirmation from the ICC, the PCB or the BCCI on attendance lists, meeting outcomes or a final travel decision by Naqvi would settle the remaining uncertainty. As of the reports published on May 16, the clearest expectation was that Naqvi would take part in the ICC process, with at least one report saying that participation would be virtual. (hindustantimes.com) (economictimes.indiatimes.com)