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New Delhi: The Indian Cricket Board is set to play a crucial role in former Australian Prime Minister John Howard's nomination as ICC vice-president as two African countries are against such a move, reports said.
Howard, who was jointly nominated by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket, have apparently received stiff resistance from the boards of South Africa and Zimbabwe, who are gearing up to block his nomination.
According to ICC rules, four votes are needed to block Howard's nomination for ICC vice-presidency, a post which will be vacant once incumbent Sharad Pawar replaces David Morgan as president next month.
Morgan, who has been facing flak from Cricket South Africa for taking Howard's nomination as a personal matter, is meeting Pawar on Thursday to discuss the issue, according to Cricinfo.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, however, played down the matter.
"The ICC board has not yet discussed the matter. The process is that Australia and New Zealand nominate someone, followed by the board considering the nomination before putting it before the annual conference. It is a three-step process.
"It (opposition to Howard's nomination) is speculative at this moment. We haven't yet faced such a scenario; it has not been blocked as yet, nor even considered," he added.
Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket re-affirmed their support for Howard.
"We remain rock solid in our support of the nomination," CA spokesperson Peter Young said.
"CA and NZC ... are convinced Howard is the best possible nomination we could put forward. We will continue to be welded on in our joint support of that nomination. We have made that clear to the ICC in recent weeks."
"We certainly haven't heard any notification from ICC that there's a problem with that. We're certainly not contemplating any other scenarios than John Howard being our man," said NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan.
