Just days after announcing his decision to step down as Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Shashank Manohar has agreed to defer his resignation till the process of reforms to the revenue sharing model in ICC and the governance is completed, the cricket governing body stated on Friday (March 24).
“ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar has today agreed to defer his recent resignation following an ICC Board resolution to request him to remain in post was passed with overwhelming support earlier this week. In a significant show of support for Mr. Manohar the Board asked him to withdraw his resignation or at the very least defer it until the ongoing process relating to governance and financial restructuring are completed,” an ICC media release stated.
Speaking about his decision to hold off his resignation, Manohar said: “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. I have duty to work with my colleagues to enable a smooth transition and continue our work on the governance of the ICC.”
Manohar has been at the forefront of reforms proposed in the finance and governance models of the sport’s parent body, which was agreed to in principle by several member bodies. A ratification of that was supposed to take place during the ICC meetings in April. The move, however, was opposed by BCCI, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and subsequently by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).
The BCCI had also shot an 11-page, 24-point letter to the ICC on March 19 stating that the Indian board is not in agreement with the changes, claiming that there were no scientific formula behind the figures in the new financial redistribution model proposed by the ICC.
Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever, who said that the board is ‘committed to the overarching philosophies’ of the reforms pioneered by Manohar, added that the former BCCI chief will be at helm of the ICC affairs till the completion of the 2017 Annual Conference, in April.
“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,” Peever said.
“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,” Vikram Limaye, a member of the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators, had said.
Nazmul Hassan, the president of BCB, also came out in support of Manohar. “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,” he said.
, Shashank Manohar has agreed to defer his resignation till the process of reforms to the revenue sharing model in ICC and the governance is completed, the cricket governing body stated on Friday (March 24).){kind=link}