It has now come to light that Mubashshir Usmani, Chair of Associates at the ICC and representative of the Emirates Cricket Board, also joined the meeting virtually.
Cricket fans breathed a sigh of relief after the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup deadlock was resolved on Monday, and it has now emerged that the UAE’s cricket board played a key role in bringing the marquee match back on track.
Ending days of intense speculation, the Pakistan government announced that the team would play against India on February 15 — just 10 days after their decision to boycott the game in protest over Bangladesh’s controversial removal from the tournament had sent shockwaves through the cricketing world.
To resolve the crisis, the International Cricket Council (ICC), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held an emergency meeting in Lahore on Sunday.
It has now emerged that Mubashshir Usmani, Chair of Associates at the ICC and representative of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), also attended the meeting virtually.
“Mubashshir played a pivotal role in ensuring that all stakeholders — the ICC, BCB, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and PCB — reached consensus and amicably resolved the dispute that had threatened not only the ongoing World Cup but the future of ICC events,” an ECB source said.
“Mubashshir was involved from the start of ICC negotiations and remained an important figure until the very end, as a deadlock persisted even Monday evening over key components of the ICC solution.”
According to reports in Indian and Pakistani media, Mubashshir — a former ECB secretary general — reminded the PCB of the UAE’s support after the 2009 Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus, when Pakistan had been unable to host home matches.
For nearly a decade, the UAE provided Pakistan with world-class stadiums in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah to host bilateral matches against foreign teams. Now, it was Pakistan’s turn to contribute to the global cricket ecosystem, with revenues from every India-Pakistan World Cup match helping the ICC fund cricket development programs in associate countries.
“The ECB and Mubashshir’s contribution is historic, helping save the game from a major crisis that threatened not only this tournament but the future of ICC events, particularly given the economics and funding model that supports all ICC members — Full and Associate alike,” the source added.
The blockbuster clash between the South Asian rivals, expected to generate around $400 million, is scheduled to take place in Colombo on Sunday.
