Manohar quits as ICC chief
Dubai, March 15: In a surprise development, Shashank Manohar on Wednesday resigned as ICC chairman after merely eight months in office citing personal reasons. The 59-yearold Manohar mailed his resignation letter to ICC CEO Dave Richardson without clarifying the reason for this sudden move to end what was to be a two-yeartenure. However, according to highly-placed sources Manohar has decided to quit as BCCI seems to have gained enough ground to block the constitutional and financial reforms that were set to be passed by the ICC at its next board meeting.
Any reform to be passed needs 2/3rd majority but BCCI, in all likelihood, has managed to get Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on its side.
It is learnt, expecting a loss of face, Manohar has resigned with immediate effect.
“I was elected unopposed as the first independent Chairman of ICC last year. I have tried to do my best and have tried to be fair and impartial in deciding matters in the functioning of the Board and in matters related to Member Boards along with the able support of all directors,” Manohar has stated in his resignation letter.
“However, for personal reasons it is not possible for me to hold the august office of ICC Chairman and hence I am tendering my resignation as Chairman with immediate effect.
Manohar has, however, told espncricinfo.com that any differences he might have had with the BCCI had no bearing on his decision.
He met the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) in Mumbai a day before he resigned and told them he had already made up his mind. “It has nothing to do with the ICC functioning or these issues which are going to come up,” he said. Manohar, however, did not elaborate on why he had stepped down. “Personal reason means genuinely personal. And I don’t lie.”
Differences between Manohar and the Big Three emerged soon after he became BCCI president in November 2015, when he equated the finance and governance model designed in 2014 to concentrate power in the hands of the BCCI, CA and ECB with “bullying”.
— Agencies
I have tried to do my best and have tried to be fair and impartial in deciding matters in the functioning of the Board and in matters related to Member Boards along with the able support of all directors.
— SHASHANK MANOHAR