Pawar is Asia's choice for ICC top job

The nomination of Sharad Pawar, chief of Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), was sent for the post of International Cricket Council (ICC) president today after the four test playing nations in Asia reached a consensus on the issue.

Pawar's name was agreed upon and sent for the ICC top job after a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council in Singapore.

"All the test playing nations in Asia - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - have decided on the nomination of Pawar, and it has been sent to the ICC," Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer of BCCI, told PTI.

Incumbent ICC president Percy Sonn has two years into the job, but the process of filing nominations ends on January 1, 2007.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah had earlier said that Asian countries had agreed to back Pawar for the post. "It has been decided that Pawar will be the candidate to take over as the new ICC president once Percy Sonn's two-year term is over. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are in favour of Pawar, and we hope to elicit the support of the West Indies too," he said.

Former BCCI chief A C Muthiah is the head of ICC's nomination committee. Voting on the nominations will take place at the ICC's annual meeting in London in July.