Pakistan-backed candidates have won all three contested seats on the Asian Cricket Council board, defeating an India-backed panel in Bangkok (Geo News).
The election was held at the ACC Annual General Meeting, where three director positions were contested by rival panels.
Who won
The winning panel, backed by ACC President and Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi, comprised representatives from Qatar, Singapore and the Maldives.
The three candidates won a close contest. Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, represented India at the meeting.
Why it is being described as significant
Sources said it is the first time since the ACC was established that a Pakistan-backed panel has won all three available seats, and described the outcome as a major achievement for Naqvi and an indication of Pakistan’s growing influence in the body.
Some caution is warranted on the framing: the characterisation comes from sources rather than from any ACC statement, and the seats went to Qatar, Singapore and the Maldives — associate members whose votes are not permanently aligned with anyone.
What the result does show is that the BCCI, by far the wealthiest board in world cricket, did not carry a vote among Asia’s smaller boards.
The context
Cricket administration in Asia has been shaped for years by the India-Pakistan relationship, which has repeatedly determined where tournaments are played and whether the two teams meet at all outside multi-nation events.
The AGM also reviewed preparations for next year’s Asia Cup.
Naqvi holds the ACC presidency alongside the PCB chairmanship and his post as Pakistan’s interior minister — a combination that has drawn comment domestically, and which places him this week both in Bangkok and, by omission, at the centre of a dispute over PTI’s contempt petition at home.
