Shashank Manohar steps down as ICC chairman with immediate effect

Dubai: In an expected turn of events, International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Shashank Manohar has stepped down from his role on Wednesday. The former BCCI president, who was elected unopposed as the independent ICC chairman in May last year, cited personal reasons to quit ICC top post after eight months.

The 59-year-old Manohar mailed his resignation letter to ICC CEO Dave Richardson without clarifying the exact reason for this sudden move to end what was to be a two-year-tenure.

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.

"I take this opportunity to thank all the Directors, the Management and staff of ICC for supporting me wholeheartedly. I wish ICC all the very best and hope it achieves greater heights," he concluded.

Manohar had last year resigned from the BCCI citing his inability to carry out Lodha Committee reforms in toto. His detractors in BCCI at that time had said he left a sinking ship for the safer confines of the ICC.

He became the first independent chairman of ICC but had several run ins with BCCI on revenue sharing pattern.

The BCCI officials believe that for his personal ambitions to head the ICC, Manohar had not cared about the BCCI's interests.

His decision to bring in constitutional reforms has been severely opposed by BCCI along with Sri Lanka.

The ICC said it has received Manohar's resignation and will comment after taking stock of the situation.

"The ICC has confirmed it has received an email from Chairman Shashank Manohar tendering his resignation. The ICC Board will assess the situation and next steps before making a further announcement," the world body stated in a brief press release.

According to the election process, which led to Manohar becoming ICC chairman in May 2016, ICC directors were allowed to nominate one candidate, who had to be either a present or past ICC director. Nominees with the support of two or more Full Member directors would have been eligible to contest the election, which was scheduled to have been concluded by 23 May last year.

However, given that Manohar was the sole nominee for the position and the Board unanimously supported his appointment, the independent Audit Committee Chairman, Adnan Zaidi, who was overseeing the election process, had declared the process complete, and Manohar the successful candidate.

Manohar is a prominent Indian lawyer who served his first stint as the BCCI President from 2008-2011. Following the passing of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Manohar was re-elected as the BCCI President in October 2015 and, by virtue of that position, has held the role of ICC Chairman since then.