NEW DELHI: Eight days after he stepped down as independent chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Shashank Manohar on Friday has agreed to defer his decision following an ICC Board resolution to request him to remain in post was passed with overwhelming support.
Cricket’s governing body today stated that the Board requested Manohar to withdraw his resignation or, at the very least, defer it until the ongoing process relating to governance and financial restructuring are completed.
“I respect the sentiments expressed by the Directors and the confidence they have reposed in me. In the light of this, and although my decision to depart due to personal reasons has not changed, I am willing to
continue as Chairman till the responsibility as per the resolution is complete,” said Manohar in a press release. “I have duty to work with my colleagues to enable a smooth transition and continue our work on the governance of the ICC.”
Earlier, the 59-year-old had stressed that his decision to retire as ICC chairmanwas because of personal reasons and not due to the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s January verdict on how Indian cricket should be run. As reported by ESPNcricinfo on March 16, Manohar had confirmed his deciton to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators members Vikram Limaye and Vinod Rai hat he was going to leave the ICC.
In Friday’s ICC release, Limaye stated: “It is important that the current issues are resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. We had a productive meeting with Mr Manohar recently (prior to his resignation) wherein we outlined the concerns of BCCI on the financial model and governance issues and our suggestions for resolution. We are committed to working with ICC for a satisfactory resolution of these issues.”
Added Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever: “This resolution is a clear indication that whilst the Board may not yet agree on the detail of our reform process, we are committed to the overarching philosophies of it. We all believe that Shashank should be the man to see it through and whilst respectful of a decision made for personal reasons, we are delighted that he has agreed to remain in post until the completion of the 2017 Annual Conference where we can elect a successor.”
Nazmul Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, said: “For the greater interest of cricket, we need Shashank as the Chairman of ICC especially at this critical juncture. He can be assured of our full support.”
