ICC may abolish rotation system for president post

MUMBAI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) is 'considering elimination of the present rotation system for the President post, it is learnt here. According to the sources in Dubai, the issue is likely to be taken up for discussion among the Board Members in the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is scheduled to be held in Hong Kong on June 28. Now logically, once the term of Sharad Pawar's successor, Alan Issac (New Zealand) is over in 2015, the next ICC chief would be from Bangladesh/Pakistan, provided the rotation policy is not abolished. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have expressed their reservations over ICC's possible consideration of abolition of the present system, the three independent sources have confirmed. The PCB chief, Ijaz Butt is likely to have even written a letter to the ICC to bring this issue in Board Meeting, it is also learnt AHM Mustafa Kamal, the BCB chief, when approached in Dhaka, said: "We want one cycle of the president rotation policy be completed. Pakistan (Ehsan Mani) already had a chance to have president and now we want nominee from Bangladesh for the vice president and then the president post at the ICC. The earlier ICC procedure of selection of President (there was no Vice President) in 1996 was a rotation amongst Full Members, who would each have a turn in appointing the President/Chair. The order commenced with India (Jagmohan Dalmiya), followed by Australian (Malcolm Gray), Pakistans (Ehsan Mani), South Africas (Percy Sonn), the system then in 2007 converted into the current Vice President/President system, with rotation around Australia/New Zealand, West Indies/England, India/Sri Lanka, Pakistan/Bangladesh, South Africa/Zimbabwe. "The ICC system seems to be wrong as national pride will cause deadlocks similar to this (Australia-New Zealand) in the future. The earlier method of choosing the candidate was more appropriate", the former NZC chief, Sir Anderson had informed to this scribe when he was not chosen ahead of ex Aussie PM Howard.