Manohar to stay with ICC for long

Other cricket boards persuade Nagpur lawyer to remain ICC chairman till June 2018, when his term ends

Shashank Manohar will stay on as chairman of the International Cricket Council until the end of his elected term in June 2018, the game’s world governing body has said. Manohar, who resigned from his post citing “personal reasons“in March, was coaxed to stay on until the board met in April to vote on a series of major reforms. Manohar has once been persuaded by overwhelming support from Full Members.

Manohar is a former president of the Indian cricket board (BCCI), but right now he has few friends in Indian cricket’s officialdom. However, the other cricket boards love him and want him to finish his term because under his leadership at ICC, BCCI has been cut down to size.

During Manohar’s term, which began last May, some very important governance and financial changes have been made at ICC, despite resistance from BCCI.

In ICC’s Board meetings in February and April this year, the Full Members (Test-playing nations) voted, with overwhelming majority, to frame a new constitution for ICC, and to create a new revenue distribution model for ICC.

It’s due to his leadership, and the confidence he provided the other boards, that all of them voted against BCCI over the new constitution and revenue distribution model.

Last month, the Full Members outvoted BCCI 9-1 on the new financial model. Due to this, BCCI’s share of ICC’s revenues for the eight-year cycle from 2015 to 2023 was brought down from $570 million to $293 million.

When the vote was taken on the new governance model, BCCI’s objections against change were beaten by an 8-2 verdict, only Sri Lanka Cricket voting with BCCI..

BCCI’s officials have been angry, and seriously contemplated pulling out of next month’s ICC Champions Trophy in the UK. Last Sunday, BCCI finally agreed to send the team to defend its title.