The upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Board Meeting in Doha was called off on Tuesday due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia. According to ESPNCricinfo, the finance committee meetings will now be held virtually over the next few weeks. There is a possibility that the April in-person meetings will go ahead, but that will depend on whether airspace opens up for the board and committee members to fly safely.
The meetings were originally scheduled for March 25 to 27and were to include ICC Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee members, and ICC senior leadership. Among the talking points, the global broadcasting rights were the biggest topic of discussion. The deal between the ICC and JioStar is set to expire in 2027. Other topics included initial discussions over the next Future Tours Programme (FTP) and the Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028.
This was the first time that the ICC was set to meet in Qatar, which reports a cricketing participation growth rate of 447 per cent. The ongoing war between the USA, Israel and Iran has already had an impact on bilateral contests. The white-ball series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from March 13 to 25, has been postponed indefinitely.
The airspace restrictions in the Middle East also hampered the travel plans of teams set to fly out of India following the end of the T20 World Cup 2026.
On February 27, the ICC confirmed Doha as the venue for the next round of the ICC meetings. “The meetings will bring together ICC Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee Members and senior leadership as part of the organisation’s ongoing governance calendar, providing an important opportunity to deliberate over key matters pertaining to the present and future of the global game,” the ICC had stated in an official release.
“The decision to stage the meetings in Doha reflects the ICC’s growing engagement with cricket in Qatar and the country’s wider 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,” it added.
