ICC forms committee to resolve Asia Cup trophy row:Urges India and Pakistan to settle issue jointly; Indian team had not accepted trophy from PCB chief

The ICC has formed a committee to resolve the ongoing Asia Cup trophy dispute between India and Pakistan. During its Annual General Meeting in Dubai on Friday, the ICC said, “Both countries should reach a mutual decision.” Board members emphasised that Pakistan and India are crucial to world cricket and should resolve their issues amicably. The ICC added that it is ready to mediate if needed. India had defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on 28 September to lift the trophy. However, the Indian players refused to accept the trophy from PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the ACC and serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister. The Indian team took this stand in protest against the Pahalgam terror attack. Following the incident, Naqvi carried the trophy to his hotel in Dubai and later left it at the ACC office there before returning to Pakistan. ICC increases number of teams for Women’s World Cup The ICC has decided to increase the number of teams participating in the Women’s ODI World Cup from 8 to 10. In a press release, the council said the move was inspired by the success of the Women’s World Cup held in India. India won their first Women’s World Cup title on 2 November by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at Navi Mumbai. Thousands of fans thronged the stadium to watch the match, a response that encouraged the ICC to expand the tournament. The ICC said in the release- The ICC Board is keen to build on the success of this tournament. The Board has agreed to expand the next phase of the tournament to 10 teams (from 8 teams in 2025). It further stated- Approximately 3,00,000 fans watched this tournament in the stadium, which is a world record for fan attendance at any women’s cricket tournament. The number of fans also increased in this tournament. Additionally, a new record was set for on-screen fans worldwide. Among these, there were approximately 500 million viewers in India. Member countries to receive 10% more funds From next year, ICC member countries will receive 10% more money. This is because the Board has approved an approximately 10% increase in its member countries’ fund distribution for 2026. Cricket included in African and Pan-American Games ICC have received the first update on ‘Project USA’, which was launched after the suspension of American cricket, to ensure that the commercial and developmental aspects of players in US national teams are not negatively impacted.
This project is designed to improve the performance of US teams through the inclusion of cricket in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and continuous participation in ICC tournaments. Cricket will be re-included in the Olympic program in 2028. It is already a part of the Asian Games. It will also be included in the list of sports scheduled for the 2027 African Games in Cairo and the 2027 Pan-American Games in Lima, the capital of Peru. Mithali-Majumdar included in Women’s Committee The ICC Board has approved the appointment of several members to the Council’s Women’s Cricket Committee, including Ashley de Silva, Mithali Raj, Amol Majumdar, Ben Sawyer, Charlotte Edwards, and Sala Stella Ciale-Veya.