Int'l Cricket Council Chair Shashank Manohar "stepped down after eight months in the role," according to the BBC. The 59-year-old was elected as the body's first independent chair on a two-year term in May. Manohar, a two-time president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said that the decision "was because of personal reasons." The ICC confirmed it had received Manohar's resignation on Wednesday, adding that it would "assess the situation" before making any further announcements (BBC, 3/15). The PTI reported "highly-placed" sources said that Manohar decided to quit as the 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 a two-thirds majority but the BCCI, "in all likelihood, has managed to get Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on its side." Manohar was reportedly expecting "a loss of face" (PTI, 3/15).
REFORMS IN DOUBT: In London, Nick Hoult reported the Test championship and reforms to cricket’s "Big Three takeover were thrown into doubt" by Manohar's resignation. It has "been reported in India that Indian officials met in Colombo last week with the Sri Lanka board and representative from Zimbabwe and Bangladesh." A group of four "is all India need to block the reforms." The ICC will appoint an interim chair before an election is held to find a replacement. England & Wales Cricket Board President Giles Clarke "has long held ambitions" to be chair of the ICC but "failed to gain enough support for a bid last year which left Manohar free to take over unopposed" (TELEGRAPH, 3/15). In London, Ali Martin reported Manohar had been looking to "scale back" the so-called "Big Three" model devised in '14 that led to India, Australia and England "taking greater control" of the sport at the int'l level and "award themselves just over half of the revenues" generated by ICC events such as the World Cup, describing them as "decisions that were, in retrospect, not always in the best interests of the game as a whole." Manohar, in his resignation letter, wrote, "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. 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" (GUARDIAN, 3/15).
