ACC upgrades Qatar to full member status

Doha: The Qatar Cricket Association’s status has been upgraded as a Full Member (Non-Test Playing) from being an Associate Member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The ACC Members upgraded Qatar Cricket Association’s (QCA) membership at ACC’s Annual General Meeting in Colombo, yesterday.

ACC President and BCCI Secretary Jay Shah chaired the meeting and announced the dates for the Asia Cup in 2022. 

Sri Lanka Cricket is geared to host this edition of the ACC’s much-awaited marquee tournament after 4 long years between 27th August-11th September 2022. The Qualifiers for the tournament will accordingly be held from 20th August.

The ACC Members also decided that the tenure of the ACC President, and that of the Executive Board along with its Committees will continue until the 2024 AGM. 

Addressing the AGM, Shah stated “I would like to thank all of my esteemed colleagues at the ACC for reposing their faith in me and considering me worthy to carry on all the work we had begun. I humbly accept this honour and am committed to working hard with a view to organize, develop and promote cricket in the region, aiding the ACC to steadily grown in stature. 

“We remain committed towards ensuring the all-round development of cricket in the region, especially carrying forward the pioneering work in women’s cricket and the multiple grassroot tournaments the ACC conducts in the region around the year. The pandemic hopefully is behind us and I am keen that we adapt, innovate and help the ACC grow from strength to strength from hereon.”

The AGM also saw the appointment of Pankaj Khimji, President of Oman Cricket, as Vice-President of the ACC. Khimji takes on the role from Mahinda Vallipuram of Malaysian Cricket Association. The ACC President stated that he looked forward to working with Khimji towards shaping the future of Asian cricket.