Updated by admin on
Thursday, June 26, 2014 12:24 PM IST
Melbourne:
Chennai's N Srinivasan was on June 26 formally appointed the first chairman of the ICC after its 52-member council approved a controversial revamp of the ICC administrative structure. The full council approved the amendments to the ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association at the Annual Conference in Melbourne.
Srinivasan has been elected chairman though he was barred by the Supreme Court of India from functioning as BCCI president due to ongoing investigations into the match-fixing allegations pertaining to 2013 edition of the IPL.
However, his anointment to the new post was a formality after the apex court refused to bar his nomination to the ICC position. The revamp will also provide major executive decision-making power to three countries -- India, Australia and England.
“It is an honour to be confirmed as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council. I will leave no stone unturned in trying to strengthen the pillars and foundations of our sport, both on and off the field,” Srinivasan said in a statement.
“I want to ensure that cricket retains and grows its popularity, and that the ICC plays a leading role in this global growth. I want to see more strong teams in international cricket. For this to be achieved, we all need to work hard to develop local talent in our countries. Naturally, there will be more support to those who first show they can help themselves,” Srinivasan added.
Srinivasan also congratulated outgoing ICC president Alan Isaac for his contribution. “Mr Isaac has been an inspirational President of the ICC. He provided guidance to everyone during his two-year term and all three international formats remain incredibly popular. The game is
unquestionably stronger than it was at the start of his term.”
The approval of the constitutional changes, following an ICC Board resolution adopted in Singapore on February 8 and finalised on April 10, resulted in the formation of a new Executive Committee which will report to the ICC Board.
The initial Chair of the Executive Committee will be Cricket Australia’s Chairman, Wally Edwards,
while the Chair of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) will continue to be England and Wales Cricket Board’s Chairman, Giles Clarke.
The Annual Conference also selected Mustafa Kamal as the 11th President of the ICC.
“This is a memorable and historic day for Bangladesh cricket. On this day 14 years ago, Bangladesh became the tenth Test playing country. Today, a Bangladeshi becomes the 11th President of the International Cricket Council. Thank you for bestowing this honour on Bangladesh and me,” said Kamal.
From 2016, the ICC Board, which will continue to be the primary decision-making body, will elect the ICC Chairman for a two-year term.
The ICC Board confirmed that the USA Cricket Association (USACA) was a recognised member. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and ICC management will, however, continue to work with USACA and other interested stakeholders to assist in overcoming some challenges currently facing the governance and development of the game in the US.
The ICC Board approved the Development Committee’s recommendation that Oman Cricket (OC) become the 38th associate member of the ICC. However, affiliate membership of Brunei was suspended, while Tonga was removed as an affiliate member.
The ICC now has 105 members.
The ICC Board noted the associate and affiliate members’ decision, which re-elected Imran Khawaja and Neil Speight for another two years as their representatives on the ICC Board, while Keith Oliver was replaced by Francois Erasmus.
