ICC's March meetings in Doha, set to discuss key issues like broadcast rights and the next FTP, have been cancelled due to the West Asia conflict. Some meetings will be held virtually, but future in-person gatherings remain uncertain.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board and committee meetings scheduled for March in Doha have been called off due to the ongoing West Asia military conflict, reported ESPNCricinfo on Tuesday.
Virtual Meetings Planned, In-Person Gatherings Uncertain
As per ESPNCrinfo, the meetings, particularly the ones related to the finance committee, will take place within the next few weeks virtually. But the in-person meetings in April depend on the reopening of the airspace which will enable board and committee members to travel safely and quickly. With that being said, the possibility of in-person meetings remains open.
The meetings were originally supposed to take place from March 25 to 27, including ICC Board directors, Chief Executives and Committee members along with the senior leadership of world cricket's governing body.
Key Agenda Items for Postponed Meetings
Some of the key issues for these meetings were: Global broadcasting rights for ICC events, with the ongoing ICC-JioStar deal set to expire in 2027, the discussions over the next Future Tours Programme and the qualification pathway for Los Angeles Olympics cricket tournament.
Informal Discussions on Future Tours Programme
The work for the second issue is already in process in an informal manner, with several board are approaching each other to shape up the next four years of cricket calendar.
Impact on Inaugural Qatar Meetings
This year was the first time ICC was holding meetings in Qatar, which has reported a participation growth of 447 per cent. But however, with flights being limited, hosting meetings during this time became difficult.
Broader Impact on International Cricket
The West Asian crisis has also affected international cricket, with the limited-overs series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, set to take place from March 13-25 in UAE initially, have been postponed indefinitely.
The US-Israel and Iran conflict has entered its second week now. (ANI)
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