ICC calls off board meeting in Doha amid conflict in Middle East

The ICC Broad and Committee meetings scheduled for later this month in Doha, Qatar, have been postponed due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The meetings were originally scheduled from March 25 to 27 and were to consist of ICC Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee members and senior leadership.

As reported by ESPNcricinfo, meetings pertaining to sections such as the finance committee are to be organised virtually over the next weeks. Possibility of rescheduling the meetings for April depends on sufficient airspace clearance to ensure the safety of all attending members.

The agenda of the meeting was discussing three key issues, namely global broadcasting, with ICC’s deal with JioStar due to expire in 2027; planning of the next FTP (Future Tours Programme), and qualification pathways for the 2028 LA Olympics. Talks on the FTP have already begun with several members informally approaching others, making plans for cricket’s next four-year cycle.

This is the first time the ICC stakeholders were to meet in Qatar, but the conflict and subsequent airspace closure meant the meeting was to be pushed further.

The conflict in West Asia has caused major cancellations and scheduling challenges across the cricket world. Sri Lanka’s series against Afghanistan, set to be played from March 13-25 postponed, while teams like West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe faced delay in returning from the T20 World Cup in India due to the Middle East being a prime destination for connecting flights.