Howard defiant in the face of ICC snub
Source: Agencies |
July 2, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
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FORMER Australia Prime Minister John Howard will not step aside as the nominee for the International Cricket Council's vice-presidency despite being snubbed by the body on Wednesday.
Howard said he had been given no indication as to why his candidacy was blocked by a reported six of the 10 major cricketing nations at the ICC's meeting in Singapore.
"Even in private discussions they are very reluctant to give a reason," Howard told Australia's Sky News.
The ICC asked both Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket to resubmit a new candidate by August 31. The vice president will become the president of the governing body in 2012.
"I won't be withdrawing," Howard said. "I wanted to do this job, I wanted to do it well and I would have devoted my full time to it."
The sport's governing body meanwhile formally proclaimed India's Sharad Pawar as its new president.
"There are no political connotations to this decision," Pawar, who replaced Briton David Morgan, told reporters. "We will wait for Australia and New Zealand's recommendation."
Board decision
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat also spent most of the news conference defending the board's decision.
"The ICC board does not have to give reasons, there simply was an insufficient number of delegates in support of the candidate so it did not go to a vote," he said.
Howard's criticism of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe's regime while Australian Prime Minister had alienated him with both South Africa and Zimbabwe. His condemnation of world record wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action also displeased Sri Lanka.
"Whether or not Mr Howard could have done a good job is a secondary issue as his nomination was rejected by the board," Lorgat added. "We didn't think it was necessary to allow him a presentation as there were more members not in support than in support."
Howard said if it was in some way based on past political reasons then "that is a very bad precedent to be establishing for the ICC because there are serving politicians holding positions of authority within the ICC."
"I'm not criticizing that but I'm just drawing attention to it," he said.
Howard said he had been given no indication as to why his candidacy was blocked by a reported six of the 10 major cricketing nations at the ICC's meeting in Singapore.
"Even in private discussions they are very reluctant to give a reason," Howard told Australia's Sky News.
The ICC asked both Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket to resubmit a new candidate by August 31. The vice president will become the president of the governing body in 2012.
"I won't be withdrawing," Howard said. "I wanted to do this job, I wanted to do it well and I would have devoted my full time to it."
The sport's governing body meanwhile formally proclaimed India's Sharad Pawar as its new president.
"There are no political connotations to this decision," Pawar, who replaced Briton David Morgan, told reporters. "We will wait for Australia and New Zealand's recommendation."
Board decision
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat also spent most of the news conference defending the board's decision.
"The ICC board does not have to give reasons, there simply was an insufficient number of delegates in support of the candidate so it did not go to a vote," he said.
Howard's criticism of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe's regime while Australian Prime Minister had alienated him with both South Africa and Zimbabwe. His condemnation of world record wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action also displeased Sri Lanka.
"Whether or not Mr Howard could have done a good job is a secondary issue as his nomination was rejected by the board," Lorgat added. "We didn't think it was necessary to allow him a presentation as there were more members not in support than in support."
Howard said if it was in some way based on past political reasons then "that is a very bad precedent to be establishing for the ICC because there are serving politicians holding positions of authority within the ICC."
"I'm not criticizing that but I'm just drawing attention to it," he said.
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