ICC president-elect Sharad Pawar has moved to defuse the rift that has arisen over John Howard's vice-president role.
Incoming president wants to resolve Howard issue
International Cricket Council president-elect Sharad Pawar has moved to defuse the rift that has arisen over the nomination of John Howard to vice-president.
The former Australian Prime Minister is set to step in as vice-president when Pawar takes over the ICC presidency next month.
The role would see Howard graduate to the top role in two years, a point that has caused unrest with some of cricket's national governing bodies.
South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have hinted they may look to block the 70-year-old's nomination, although one further vote is needed to achieve this.
And with Australia and New Zealand prepared to back the candidate, Pawar is keen to avoid any potential conflict.
Support
"I am sure we can reach a decision which will be unanimously supported by the ICC board," Pawar said in a joint statement with incumbent president David Morgan.
Australia and New Zealand chose Howard when it was their turn to put forward a candidate and Pawar and Morgan have reminded member nations that his election was legitimate under the ICC constitutional process.
"The board of the ICC debated and approved, some two years ago, a nomination process for the presidency and the vice-presidency," the statement continued.
"The board of the ICC had debated and approved the current nomination process for the presidency and the vice-presidency.
"The unanimous decision of the board at the time was that the presidency and the vice-presidency should be decided on a rotational basis.
"The ICC had decided that the next vice-president would be nominated by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket.
"Those two boards have been through a very thorough and robust selection process to suggest a candidate and now the ICC Board has to consider and decide on this nomination."
