The International Cricket Committee (ICC) board of directors will meet later this week in Dubai to finalise the process of electing or re-electing the Chairman. There is some uncertainty as to whether present Chairman Greg Barclay would stay on, but according to the reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may submit the name of Anurag Thakur if he does not.
There have been contradictory rumours as to whether or not Barclay will stay on as ICC Chairman. He is entitled to run two more times under the ICC constitution.
Thakur, a former president of the BCCI and a former director of the ICC, is one of numerous former presidents who are eligible to run, including Sharad Pawar and N Srinivasan. Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah, the current office-bearers, are also eligible. Shah, for example, attended an ICC board meeting last year and now has the necessary qualifications.
Thakur’s name was mentioned a few times in BCCI’s internal conversations on the topic, according to sources. According to the Lodha reforms, he is not qualified to hold a position in the BCCI as a Minister in the Central Government, but he is highly qualified to lead the ICC. It’s unclear whether he’ll be able to devote time to cricket administration.
The reason behind BCCI pushing Thakur’s name for the ICC Chairman post
With the 50-over World Cup being contested in India next year, a faction of the BCCI believes the Chairmanship should go to India. Sharad Pawar was the ICC’s president when the World Cup was last hosted in India, in 2011.
Thus, BCCI will want that Thankur carry on the proceedings ahead of the ODI World Cup next year.
The BCCI, as a major player in the ICC, will have a significant influence in the Chairman’s election or re-election. The BCCI is unlikely to change the present arrangement because Indian cricket officials enjoy a solid working relationship with Barclay.
When Barclay visits India next week (which is more likely) or next month, things are expected to straighten up. His travel plans were not immediately available, but the New Zealander has committed to visit Mumbai during the IPL, either on his way home from Dubai next week or on his way to the United Kingdom in May.
By May 9, when the job will be nominated, it should be clear whether or not Barclay will stay on. Candidates will need two proposers from the ICC’s 12 full members, as was the case last year, and will also have to outline their vision for the world body. Elections will be held on June 10 if there are many candidates in the race. The winner will be the candidate who receives two-thirds of the votes from the 15-member board.
At this week’s meeting, the procedure is expected to be formally approved, allowing the election process to begin. The new Chairman will take on the guards during the ICC’s annual conference in Birmingham in July.
