Monday, June 13, 2011

ICC may scrap rotation policy for choosing presidents

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) system for appointing presidents is set to undergo a significant change with the world body planning to table a proposal to scrap the current rotation policy at its next annual general meeting of board members in Hong Kong on June 28. The move is likely to be opposed by Pakistan and Bangladesh, the two full members who are next in turn to nominate a president and vice-president, according to a cricket website. The proposal formed the main topic of discussion at an ICC governing committee meeting in Chennai last week.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is worried over this development and chief Ijaz Butt has even written a letter to the ICC on this issue, according to reports in the Pakistan media. PCB's fear is that this may be an attempt to sideline it at a time when Pakistan cricket is struggling to come to terms with one controversy after another. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Ahmed Mustafa Kamal told sections of the Pakistani media: "We want one cycle of the president rotation policy to be completed. Pakistan's Ehsan Mani already had a chance to be president and now we want one nominee from Bangladesh for the vice-president and then the president's post at the ICC."

Mani slams Pawar's policy

Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani has slammed the Sharad Pawar-led ICC's reported move to do away with the rotational policy for appointment of presidents after 2015, suggesting that India might have initiated it. Nine out of 10 Test playing nations have reportedly signed on the ICC's proposal to change the rotational policy and Mani termed it unusual.