Independent Manohar elected ICC chairman unopposed (Roundup)

Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar on Thursday was elected unopposed as chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He is the first to bag the post without any board affiliation.

Manohar stepped down as the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday.

He will commence his two-year term with immediate effect.

"I look forward to working with all stakeholders to shape the future of cricket, which has a proud history and rich tradition," Manohar said in a statement after being elected.

"It is an honour to be elected as the chairman of the International Cricket Council and for that I am thankful to all the ICC directors who have put their faith and trust in my abilities.

"I also take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues in the BCCI who have supported me during my recent time as the BCCI's president.

"These are exciting times for international cricket as we are presently carrying out a comprehensive review of the 2014 constitutional amendments which is aimed at not only improving governance structures, but cricket structures as well," Manohar said.

"The ultimate objective is to grow our sport and engage a whole new generation of fans and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to shape the future of cricket, which has a proud history and rich tradition."

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur welcomed Manohar's election as ICC chairman. Congratulating the new chairman of the game's world governing body, Thakur said the BCCI will continue its co-operation with the ICC to develop the game globally.

"The BCCI welcomes the unopposed election of Shashank Manohar as the chairman of the ICC," Thakur said in a statement.

"Shashank Manohar's unanimous, unopposed election is a matter of pride for India. With his vast administrative experience he will provide leadership to the ICC to strengthen the position of cricket at the global level. The BCCI looks forward to working closely with the ICC for developing cricket," he added.

During his first stint as BCCI president, India became the top ranked Test side and won the 50-over World Cup in 2011 by defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final. He also suspended former IPL chief Lalit Modi in june 2010 for his alleged misdemeanors following a hearing by the BCCI's disciplinary committee.

Before being the president of the BCCI, he was the chief of the Vidarbha Cricket Association.

Manohar's second stint as the BCCI boss only lasted for seven months. He took over following the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya in October 2015 and, by virtue of that position, has held the role of the ICC chief since then.

He took over the BCCI's reigns at a time when the game was beseiged by allegations of widespread corruption and match fixing following the IPL scandal of 2014 which forced then board chief N. Srinivasan to step down.

He was elected the chairman following ICC Full Council's approval of constitutional amendments proposed by the Board following its April meeting that suggested the abolition of the post of president.

According to the election process, ICC directors were each allowed to nominate one candidate, who had to be either a present or past director. Nominees with the support of two or more full member directors would have been eligible to contest the election, which was scheduled to have been concluded by May 23.

Manohar was the sole nominee for the position and the ICC board unanimously supported his appointment.

The election process was overseen by the independent Audit Committee chairman Adnan Zaidi. He declared the process complete, and Manohar the successful candidate.

Manohar served his first stint as the BCCI president from 2008-11.

--IANS

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