ICC's Dubai meet likely to scratch heads over Asia Cup fallout between India and Pakistan

Published - 05 Nov 2025, 21:03 IST | Updated - 05 Nov 2025, 21:21 IST

The fallout from the Asia Cup 2025 altercation between India and Pakistan is set to dominate discussions across various forums during this week’s International Cricket Council (ICC) quarterly meetings in Dubai. The Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) will convene on November 5, followed by the Board meeting of all board heads on November 7.

Although the Asia Cup issue is not officially listed on the agenda, it is expected to arise during the Board meeting and could also feature in informal discussions on the sidelines. The tensions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have mirrored the strained political relations between the two countries this year. Matters reached a flashpoint during the Asia Cup, where the teams met three times.

The matches were marred by controversy, including a no-handshakes policy instigated by the BCCI. Four players, Haris Rauf, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Sahibzada Farhan. All these names, two from India and as many from Pakistan, were taken into scrutiny and held guilty by the ICC, as their gestures were deemed to be politically motivated.

The situation escalated further during the trophy presentation, after India defeated Pakistan in the final. The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as both PCB chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president. Since then, the trophy has not been publicly displayed, with reports suggesting it remains in an ACC office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Naqvi has maintained that, as ACC head, he alone has the right to present the trophy. However, due to his political commitments as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, there are doubts over his physical participation in the Dubai meet. Despite the lingering friction, several board members acknowledge the commercial and sporting importance of the India-Pakistan rivalry and are hopeful that a path toward resolution can be outlined during the week’s discussions.