The boards of India, England and Australia will no longer be permanent members of the International Cricket Council’s decision-making executive committee, the governing body said yesterday, according to Reuters.
The ICC approved wide-ranging changes in 2014, giving the three powerful nations permanent seats in its executive committee and the lion’s share of the revenue while also promising more funds for everyone.
After taking over the reins at the ICC last year, Indian cricket board president Shashank Manohar flayed the imbalance of power and criticised the 2014 restructuring, Reuters said.
“The board has agreed to carry out a complete review of the 2014 resolutions and constitutional changes,” the governing body said in a statement following a board meeting held at its Dubai headquarters yesterday.
The ICC received widespread criticism two years ago with some suggesting the ‘Big Three’ would take over the sport at the expense of the other cricketing nations.
The governing body’s constitution is also to be completely reviewed and all members asked to provide feedback in the next few weeks, it said, according to Reuters.
“No member of the ICC is bigger than the other and I am determined to make a meaningful contribution in this regard with support of all the members,” Manohar said.
The ICC has also reinstated Sri Lanka as a full member after the country held elections last month to appoint a new organisation to run the sport.
Sri Lanka had previously been sanctioned for government interference.
Meanwhile, the UK Daily Telegraph said that the election for the new chairman will be held via a secret ballot at the ICC’s annual general meeting in Edinburgh from June 27-July 2. Manohar confirmed the new chairman will not be allowed to hold any office with a member board to “avoid any potential conflicts of interest and to follow best practice principles of good governance.”
Giles Clarke, the current president of the England & Wales Cricket Board is expected to stand and his hopes of winning were boosted when it was announced candidates must be current or former members of the ICC board, drastically cutting down the field of rivals.
Other changes included allowing the chairman to re-elected with a maximum of three terms. It remains to be seen if Manohar wants to stand or whether he will decide to remain at the BCCI and clean up its governance which has been the subject of Supreme Court orders in India, the report said.
If he does decide to stand Manohar will almost certainly be re-elected having agreed to redress the balance of power that alienated the smaller nations. Clarke was one of the architects of the big three takeover and has already been told by Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa that they will not support him. Telegraph Sport understands CSA will support Manohar if he decides to stand.
