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New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) The proposal to make former Australian Prime Minister John Howard International Cricket Council (ICC) vice-president was not taken up by the board of directors at their Dubai meeting in the face of an overwhelming opposition to it.
Howard, who was to succeed India's Sharad Pawar as ICC president in 2012, was the candidate of the boards of Australia and New Zealand.
An ICC source in Dubai told IANS that Howard's candidature was not acceptable to ten of the 13 directors on the grounds that he lacked the experience of cricket administration.
The Australian and New Zealand boards did not press for taking up the proposal, seeing the mood of the directors. Most directors felt that the ICC post should not become a haven for powerful politicians and that cricket cannot be allowed to be hijacked by them.
It was felt that it is better not to take up the matter instead of rejecting the nomination of Howard, who was Australia's prime minister for over a decade from 1996-2007. The proposal will come before the board again after sorting out the objections raised by the members.
Howard's name was proposed after a long-drawn-out search for the nominee outside the Australian board of directors, though New Zealand Cricket wanted its former chairman John Anderson to be the candidate.
'Cricket has been one of my lifelong passions and, if the ICC accepts my nomination, it will be a privilege to serve this great game,' said 70-year-old Howard after accepting the nomination.
The ICC presidency goes to countries by rotation and the incumbent David Morgan of the England and Wales Cricket Board, will hand over the reins to Pawar in June and the new incumbent will act as vice-president before taking over in 2012.
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