Manohar quits ICC citing personal reasons

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Shashank Manohar on Wednesday resigned from the post of International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman with immediate effect. He has cited personal reasons for the move.

The 59-year old Nagpur lawyer was elected unopposed for the position in May 2016 and became the first independent chairman of the game’s governing body.

After his election for a twoyear term, he stepped down as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Senior BCCI officials have criticised Manohar’s move, calling him ‘habitual offender’. “This is very shocking because he had big plans to revive the ICC functioning. However, with Manohar it is quite known that he has the habit to quit in between,” a senior member of the BCCI told Hindustan Times. “When he came to the BCCI again, he had promised certain things. And when the BCCI needed him the most (to deal with the Supreme Court in the Lodha Committee report implementation), he quit and went to the ICC,” the official added.

Another senior BCCI functionary said Manohar’s resignation is good news for India. “He was anyway anti-India. He has ensured the BCCI is kept away from key committees,” he said.

Manohar was chiefly responsible for trying to reduce the influence wielded by the Big Three (India, England and Australia) on the revenue sharing of ICC and under his leadership, ICC went back to its earlier financial model. Manohar’s relationship with the BCCI was not a happy one. India opposed his new model where BCCI’s share of the ICC revenue would be drastically cut.

SENIOR BCCI OFFICIALS HAVE CRITICISED MANOHAR’S MOVE, CALLING HIM ‘HABITUAL OFFENDER’.