ICC Board meeting in Doha called off due to West Asia conflict

The upcoming ICC Board Meeting in Doha called off due to the ongoing tensions between the USA, Israel and Iran.

Updated on: Mar 10, 2026, 17:15:43 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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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 upcoming ICC Board Meeting in Doha called off (PTI)

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.

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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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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